Anointing of the Sick
Part 4 The Ritual: Pastoral Care of the Sick
Chapter 49 Anointing During Eucharist
Practice AssignmentBibliography |
Tips for Planning |
To Think About |
Practice Assignment
Pretend that you preaching in a parish on the Sixth Sunday of Easter, Cycle A. Prepare a homily for this occasion. During this Eucharist, following your homily, the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick will be celebrated. The parish has experienced communal anointing at Sunday Eucharist before, but there still needs to be some catechesis on the sacrament and some explanation as to why we do it communally and why it is celebrated during Sunday Eucharist. The readings are listed below for your convenience.
Reading I Acts 8:5-8, 14-17
Philip went down to the city of Samaria
and proclaimed the Christ to them.
With one accord, the crowds paid attention to what was said by Philip
when they heard it and saw the signs he was doing.
For unclean spirits, crying out in a loud voice,
came out of many possessed people,
and many paralyzed or crippled people were cured.
There was great joy in that city.
Now when the apostles in Jerusalem
heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God,
they sent them Peter and John,
who went down and prayed for them,
that they might receive the Holy Spirit,
for it had not yet fallen upon any of them;
they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.
Then they laid hands on them
and they received the Holy Spirit.
Responsorial Psalm --
Ps 66:1-3, 4-5, 6-7, 16, 20
R. (1) Let all the earth cry out to God with joy.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Shout joyfully to God, all the earth,
sing praise to the glory of his name;
proclaim his glorious praise.
Say to God, "How tremendous are your deeds!"
R. Let all the earth cry out to God with joy.
or:
R. Alleluia.
"Let all on earth worship and sing praise to you,
sing praise to your name!"
Come and see the works of God,
his tremendous deeds among the children of Adam.
R. Let all the earth cry out to God with joy.
or:
R. Alleluia.
He has changed the sea into dry land;
through the river they passed on foot.
Therefore let us rejoice in him.
He rules by his might forever.
R. Let all the earth cry out to God with joy.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Hear now, all you who fear God, while I declare
what he has done for me.
Blessed be God who refused me not
my prayer or his kindness!
R. Let all the earth cry out to God with joy.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Reading II 1 Pt 3:15-18
Beloved:
Sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts.
Always be ready to give an explanation
to anyone who asks you for a reason for your hope,
but do it with gentleness and reverence,
keeping your conscience clear,
so that, when you are maligned,
those who defame your good conduct in Christ
may themselves be put to shame.
For it is better to suffer for doing good,
if that be the will of God, than for doing evil.
For Christ also suffered for sins once,
the righteous for the sake of the unrighteous,
that he might lead you to God.
Put to death in the flesh,
he was brought to life in the Spirit.
Gospel
John 14:15-21
Jesus said to his disciples:
"If you love me, you will keep my commandments.
And I will ask the Father,
and he will give you another Advocate to be with you always,
the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot accept,
because it neither sees nor knows him.
But you know him, because he remains with you,
and will be in you.
I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you.
In a little while the world will no longer see me,
but you will see me, because I live and you will live.
On that day you will realize that I am in my Father
and you are in me and I in you.
Whoever has my commandments and observes them
is the one who loves me.
And whoever loves me will be loved by my Father,
and I will love him and reveal myself to him."
Lectionary for Mass for Use in the Dioceses of the United States,
second typical edition, Copyright © 1998, 1997, 1970 Confraternity of Christian
Doctrine; Psalm refrain © 1968, 1981, 1997, International Committee on English
in the Liturgy, Inc. All rights reserved. Neither this work nor any part of it
may be reproduced, distributed, performed or displayed in any medium, including
electronic or digital, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.
Bibliography
Tips for Planning
1. The Mystery of Suffering The celebration, words and ritual gestures, should speak accurately and eloquently of the mystery of suffering. Did the celebration speak accurately and eloquently of the mystery of suffering?
HUMAN SICKNESS AND ITS MEANING IN THE MYSTERY OF SALVATION
"Suffering and illness have always been among the greatest problems that trouble the human spirit. Christians feel and experience pain as do all other people; yet their faith helps them to grasp more deeply the mystery of suffering and to bear their pain with greater courage. From Christ’s words they know that sickness has meaning and value for their own salvation and for the salvation of the world. They also know that Christ, who during his life often visited and healed the sick, loves them in their illness." (PCS, 1)
These are the opening words of Pastoral Care of the Sick. The sacramental celebration of the Sacrament of Anointing the Sick – in its words, gestures, and ceremonies – should be a "door" through which we gain insight into this mystery. The homily – especially the homily – is a wonderful opportunity to share one’s own journey through this mystery with fellow Americans. Our American culture places a high value on productivity, success, youth, vigor, and strength; it has little regard for suffering, pain and weakness. In a parish where Anointing is celebrated twice a year during Sunday Mass, the five minute homily on these occasions may be the only ten minutes of the year where the parishioners are asked "does suffering have meaning" and are given some tools to answer that question.
Does your homily give insight into this mystery? Does your homily trivialize suffering? Does it present a philosophical God who doesn’t care that we suffer (or worse, who wants us to suffer)?
2. Celebrant Who celebrates the Sacrament? Who are the recipients of the Grace of Healing?
Many Catholics were educated in a Sacramental Theology coming from Aquinas, Trent, and the Baltimore Catechism, which spoke of "a sacrament that is an outward sign instituted by Christ to give grace." In this theology the concern was 1) Who can administer the sacrament and 2) Who can receive the sacrament. The Second Vatican Council has restored a much broader view of sacramental celebrations reminding us that the sacraments not only "give grace" but are primarily acts of worship and as such have effects on the entire Body of Christ.
The purpose of the sacraments is to sanctify men, to build up the body of Christ, and, finally, to give worship to God; because they are signs they also instruct. They not only presuppose faith, but by words and objects they also nourish, strengthen, and express it; that is why they are called "sacraments of faith." They do indeed impart grace, but, in addition, the very act of celebrating them most effectively disposes the faithful to receive this grace in a fruitful manner, to worship God duly, and to practice charity. (Vatican II, Constitution on the Liturgy, 59)
The sacramental celebration should invite the parish to a deeper realization that we are all in need of healing. A good celebration will invite the entire parish to be more aware of their own need for healing and move them to gratitude for the healing love of the Father of Jesus Christ.
What in the rite and readings and homily help the assembly realize that we are ALL IN NEED OF HEALING? Does your script reveal a "us / them" understanding of illness? Do you distinguish "healing" and "cure"? (Note: you can get a glimpse of your "under the iceberg" understanding of "sacrament" by examining the verbs you use when speaking of the sacrament [administer, receive, give, celebrate, go to, etc.].
3. Seriously Sick The rite states: "Great care and concern should be taken to see that those of the faithful whose health is seriously impaired by sickness or old age receive this sacrament." (PCS 8) When you invite people to the sacrament, are you more exclusive than the ritual? How is this expressed in your script? Do you invite everyone to be anointed?
4. The Elderly What is your under the iceberg attitude toward old age? Not all old people are sick, and it is insulting to them to imply that they are. When you invite the elderly to the sacrament, are you sensitive to this fact? How do you understand the aging process and how is this expressed in your script?
5. The Assembly (receiving) Do you indicate – in your homily, your instructions, or your worship program – what those who are not being anointed are to do during the anointings? Do you indicate what they "get out of it" and why we do this in the midst of the community? How is the Sunday celebration of the Sacrament of Anointing a sacrament and source of grace for the entire worshiping community?
6. The Assembly (acting) What gestures can be suggested that involve the whole community and indicate their ministry of healing? Every Christian must in some way continue the healing ministry of Christ. We see Christ healing on every page of the Scripture. Clearly, Jesus was a healer. If we are to follow in the footsteps of Jesus, we must be--above all else--"healers." In what way is your daily life/work a healing ministry? Every Catholic must be able to answer that question if they wish to bear the name "Christian". Does your homily help the assembly realize this ministry? Some common gesture is important because even though we have come to a different eye / ear balance in the liturgy [when the liturgy was in a language that was not understood, the ear had a rest and the eye had a feast]. Today with "getting the bible out of the attic" the Eye/Ear balance has changed. ["If the eye sees too much, the ear doesn’t really listen.” Quote from an interview with Thornton Wilder after the Public Television production of Our Town on November 6, 1989. I think this says much about “Faith comes by hearing” and how many statues you can have in a church.] Some common gesture of healing -- e.g. extending hands -- is important because even in period ten of the history grid, many Catholics are still more eye than ear.
7. BRK over the oil Should the oil be blessed during the celebration, or should we use oil previously blessed by the Bishop at the Chrism Mass? I believe that the congregation should hear and celebrate the BRK over the oil at each celebration of the sacrament. Just as, other things being equal, we would prefer a Mass to a Communion Service using Bread previously blessed by the Bishop. See my notes on Canon 999.
8. Ritual Efficiency I know that "we should not rush." "It might take a whole hour." "We can't worry about those few who keep looking at their watch." But there is also something to be said for "ritual efficiency." The rite must have a proper pace and flow. For example: the Sacrament of Anointing calls for a Litany of Intercession; the Sacrament of Eucharist calls for the General Intercessions? A duplication? Two different things? Remember the General Principle that "needless duplications are to be avoided."
Do your rubrics indicate how the ritual gestures (a) The imposition of hands, (b) the anointing, and (c) the kiss of peace are to be performed, especially if a large number of persons are to be anointed?
9. Shalom / Wholeness What kind of illness is it for? We know that during the course of history the focus shifted from healing the whole person to forgiveness of sins at a time of terminal, physical illness. The BRK over the oil asks the Holy Spirit to make the oil "a remedy for all who are anointed with it; heal them in body, in soul, and in spirit." This formula avoids the Greek dualism of body/spirit. Contemporary health studies have taught us that body, mind, and spirit go together. Health is a holistic concept (for example, a divorce can cause physical illness.) When you invite people to the sacrament, are you more exclusive than the ritual? How do you indicate this enlarged vision to the assembly?
10. Mass Text In the years following Vatican II there has been a development in the rubrics regarding the selection of the texts for ritual and votive Masses. For example, the Rite of Anointing the Sick gives the following rubric:
When the ritual Mass for the anointing of the sick is celebrated, the priest wears white vestments. The reading are taken from The Lectionary for Mass (2002 edition) nos. 790-795) form Part III, unless the sick person and those involved with the priest in planning the liturgy choose other readings from the Scripture.
The ritual Mass for the anointing of the sick is not permitted during the Easter triduum, on the solemnities of Christmas, Epiphany, Ascension, Pentecost, Corpus Christi, or on a solemnity which is a holy day of obligation. On these occasions, the texts and readings are taken from the Mass of the day. Although the ritual Mass is also excluded on the Sundays of Advent, Lent, and the Easter season, on solemnities, Ash Wednesday, and the weekdays of Holy Week, one of the readings may be taken from the Scripture texts indicated above, and the special form of the final blessing may be used. (PCS #134)
This rubric has been superseded by our more comprehensive understanding of the arrangement of liturgical days, see the Table of Liturgical Days According to their Order of Precedence. The a selection of readings in given in the current (2002) Lectionary under "Ritual Masses: Part V. For the Pastoral Care of the Sick and the Dying. (#790-800). The general rule is that Ritual and Votive Masses are never celebrated on days ranked one through four in the table of precedence. On "Sundays Throughout the Year (ranked #6 in the table of precedence), a pastoral judgment must be made as to whether or not it is spiritually fruitful for the parish to interrupt the Sunday cycle.
(11) Should Rubrics also are catechetical, can be and ought to be instructive... What words do you use when you give directions to the congregation? I think that the suggestions given by Arnold A. Lawrence, Ph.D., and Clifford N. Lazarus, Ph.D. in The 60 Second Shrink: 101 Strategies for Staying Sane in a Crazy World are helpful when giving directions to the assembly.
"Try to catch your self each time it you start a sentence with ‘you should, ought to, or must.’ These words can create anger and guilt in the person you are speaking to. Change the ‘should’ into a request or a preference, such as ‘Please try to remember to put the dishes in the dishwasher’ or ‘I’d prefer that you smoke outside.’"
To Think About
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