A Communal Celebration
The Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick is both “a liturgical and a communal celebration.” In the family home, hospital, or church, members of the Body of Christ gather for the sacramental rite led by a priest.
The Penitential Rite followed by the Liturgy of the Word and sacramental anointing of the sick can inspire and comfort both those who are ill and their family and friends who are gathered (CCC, nos. 1517-18).
These sacramental celebrations are a “source of strength amid pain and weakness, hope
amid despair” and a “joyful encounter” for the entire community (Christifideles Laici, no. 54).
Connection to the Communion of Saints
Anointing with sacred oil is a sign of blessing by the Holy Spirit of the one who is sick. Oil
of the Sick, which receives a different blessing from the Chrism oil used during Baptism,
Confirmation, and Holy Orders, recalls the community’s sharing of the Holy Spirit and the sick person’s connection to the entire Body of Christ and Communion of Saints.
A Witness to Dignity
The sacrament reminds us that each person is made in the image of God and has dignity that remains unchanged, whatever the body suffers. The ministry of those who are sick is a powerful witness to the fact that human dignity is intrinsic and does not increase or
decrease based on a person’s physical state or abilities. This is why the Church
works to protect the life and dignity of the person at every stage of life—the embryo, the person suffering from AIDS, the family in poverty, and the person nearing death—and why she works to secure access to decent health care for all.