ANOINTING OF THE SICK

"By the sacred anointing of the sick and the prayer of the priests the whole Church commends those who are ill to the suffering and glorified Lord, that he may raise them up and save them. And indeed she exhorts them to contribute tot he good of the People of God by freely uniting themselves to the Passion and death of Christ."

~Catechism of the Catholic Church 1499

Often times, in our journey in life, we feel and expericence pain. Sometimes it's physical pain, sometimes it's emotional or even spiritual pain. Such experiences remind us of our human condition, and more importantly, of our need for healing. 

The Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick does give us that healing. It heals our souls by taking our sins away, and gives us the confidence and courage to bear with Christian hope the hardships we encounter as a result of our human condition. In this sacrament, we encounter the soothing and healing presence of God through the prayers and support of others. This sacrament is not designted for the dying. Rather, any one of us can receive it as many times as we need for our own physical, spiritual, emotional, etc., healing.

Therefore, as a parish, we are making this Sacrament more available to our families. Every fourth Saturday of the month, after the 4:30pm Mass at Holy Cross, we will have a brief liturgy of the Anointing of the Sick. At Our Lady of the Lakes, the Anointing of the Sick will take place on the fourth Wednesday of the month during Mass. 

Please contact either Parish Office to set up a time if you'd like to receive this sacrament at home or in the hospital. Due to the shortage of priests, it is suggested to make arrangements to receive this Sacrament several days or weeks prior to the end of life to ensure a priest is able to visit.