Homily - 5th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B

Homily — 5^th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B

Job 7:1-4; 6-7 <> 1 Corinthians 9:16-19; 22-23 <> Mark 1:29-39

Fr. Timothy W. Castor

Our Catholic faith teaches us that each one of the seven sacraments was instituted by Christ himself. With most of the sacraments, it’s easy to find a place in the gospel where this institution took place. For example, the institution of the most Holy Eucharist is obvious in the account of the Last Supper. And, before his ascension into heaven, Jesus clearly commands the disciples to go into all the world, preach the gospel to every creature, and baptize them in the name of the Father and of the Son of the Holy Spirit, thereby instituting the Sacrament of Baptism. But with some of the sacraments, the Gospel connection is not so apparent.

A good example is the Anointing of the Sick, formerly known as Extreme Unction. We know from the letter of St. James that this practice was part of the Church’s sacramental life from its earliest days. In the fifth chapter of that letter he writes, "Is any among you sick? Let him call for the priests of the Church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord; and the prayer of faith will save the sick man, and the Lord will raise him up; and if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven." Even though it is not explicitly recorded in the Gospels, it’s safe to assume that the early Church would not have adopted this custom if the Lord had not somehow authorized it. And, indeed, we do find a mention in the sixth chapter of Mark that, when the Lord sent the disciples out two-by-two with authority over demons, they also "anointed with oil many that were sick," it says, "and healed them." In addition, there are many Gospel stories, like the one we just heard today, which clearly indicate Jesus’ loving concern for the sick and his power to heal them—a power he certainly gave to his disciples and to all who share in the priestly ministry of Jesus Christ through ordination. So, let’s take a few moments to reflect on this Sacrament of Anointing, and consider its place in the life of the Church and our own spiritual life.

Several questions often arise with regard to this sacrament. First of all, "What does Anointing actually do?" The effect of this sacrament, when it is received faithfully, is primarily a spiritual strengthening. We are spiritual as well as physical beings, and there is a close bond between the body and the soul—a bond which is broken only in death. For this reason, the Church has always recognized that, when the physical part of the human being suffers, the spiritual part suffers as well. When you are sick, it is easy to become discouraged, to experience difficulty in prayer, even to lose faith. And so, the Sacrament of Anointing helps to strengthen the soul, weakened through the suffering of the body. As with all the Sacraments, Jesus is present in the Anointing of the Sick with life-giving power. While this power is primarily focused on our spiritual health, our Lord is concerned about the whole person, not just the soul. For this reason, if it will be a help to the person’s salvation, the Sacrament can even bring physical healing – sometimes in a very dramatic way.

Another common question is, "Who may receive Anointing of the Sick?" Does one have to be at the point of death in order to receive the Sacrament? Or can this sacrament be received by any sick person at all—even if it’s just the flu or a common cold? The answer to both questions is "no". One does not have to be dying order to be anointed, but one does have to be seriously ill. Here’s what the Second Vatican Council says: "as soon as any one of the faithful begins to be in danger of death from sickness or old age, the fitting time for that person to receive this sacrament has already arrived." From this we learn that the condition—whether it is sickness or old age—must be life threatening. This threat to one’s life does not have to be immediate or even near, but the condition must be one that seriously impairs a person’s health.

The anointing of the sick is also given to those who are facing surgery, when the condition necessitating surgery is the result of serious illness. And it is given to those whose bodies have been seriously hurt from an accident. The elderly, who have become weak through the effects of old age, may also be anointed.

How often may one receive this Sacrament? Typically, it is given only once for each illness. But if the illness becomes noticeably worse, the anointing may be repeated. If a person recovers from his illness, but becomes sick again, he may receive the anointing again. And it is certainly appropriate for the elderly to receive this sacrament periodically as they grow older.

Among the effects of the Sacrament, we have already spoken of the fact that it brings spiritual strength to the suffering soul. Part of the strength is the forgiveness of sins, as we heard from the letter of James. But anointing is not a substitute for the Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation. Anointing can remove serious sin only if one is not able to go to confession in the ordinary way—for example, if a patient lapses into unconsciousness before he is able to see a priest.

There is another effect of this sacrament which is not often mentioned, but it’s an important one. Anointing will help the sick person to unite his or her sufferings with the sufferings of Christ, and so make their sickness truly redemptive. In other words, when you ask for anointing, you’re not only asking for the help of the Church, but you’re also offering your sufferings to help the Church—to help others who suffer from sickness or from sin. Elsewhere in St. James’ letter, he tells us that, "the fervent prayer of a righteous person is very powerful." This applies not only to the prayer of the minister and the prayer of the Church, but also to the prayer of the one who is sick. This Sacrament of Anointing, therefore, is an invitation to use your sickness for good, to use your suffering, as Christ did on the Cross, to bring healing, peace and salvation to others. Frequently, I anoint patients in the hospital, and almost always I ask them to pray, not just for themselves, but for others in the hospital who are experiencing pain or loneliness or fear – I ask them to offer up their sufferings to Christ, because in so doing they can actually help to save souls.

So, if you become seriously ill, don’t be afraid to use this beautiful Sacrament, and encourage others to use it as well. This is one of the Church’s primary means of grace. Through it, our Blessed Lord, in his healing power, can be as present to you as he was to the people of Capernaum in today’s Gospel. And then, when we have received his grace, may the Lord find us ready to serve him, just as Peter’s mother-in-law was when she was raised from her bed of sickness.