The Institution of the Sacrament of Anointing

Fr. Joachim Trytania

The Council of Trent (1545-1563) teaches that the sacrament was instituted by Christ our Lord as insinuated in the Gospel of Mark: "So they went off and preached repentance. They drove out many demons, and they anointed many who were sick and cured them" (6;12-13). But their anointing and prayer was rather prefiguring of this sacrament than the sacrament itself. What the Apostles practiced during their missionary journeys when our Lord was on earth, however, was transformed and raised to the dignity of the sacrament after His resurrection when they went forth into the world and preached the risen Christ.

We have no record of when and how precisely our Lord instituted the sacrament, but we learn from the letter of St. James to the Jewish Christians, that if anyone was sick among them, he was asked to receive this sacramental rite (James 5;14-16). Let us consider the words of St. James in detail... We gather from James' words that the first condition for this sacrament is a state of bodily sickness. The sick man is in such a state of weakness that he cannot go to church but has to beg priests come to him. It has to be noted that the word "priests" is in plural.

In many places both in the East and West during many centuries, this sacrament was administered not by one, but by several priests. However, the text does not absolutely demand a plurality of priests. In the West the custom prevailed that the sacrament be administered by one priest alone. These priests should pray over the sick man. The expression is not "pray for" the sick man, which might be done by anyone anywhere, but "over" the sick person, as if they were to recite a powerful formula of imploring, while standing over the sick person on the bed of sickness. The praying and anointing go together in combined action. The anointing is done "in the name of the Lord." It isn't just an expression of the personal faith of the sick person, or the bystanders, some symbolic action indicating their desire or some natural medicinal practice, but an actual use of the power of Christ and an exercise of His authority granted to the priests. They act in the name of their Master and in His power: "The prayer of faith will save the sick person." The words indicate the effect of the use of divine power. It is not a mere expression of individual supplication by anyone who might be asking a favor of the Almighty, but it is said to be a prayer "of the faith."

The official exercise of the Christian Faith, an act of believers, is useless to those not of the Faith. The sending for the priests, the acceptance of the Christian rite by the sick person and the administration of it by the priests of the Church are the typical manifestations of the faith, provoked by the extreme need of the ill person in danger of death. This prayer shall save the sick person.

Further, in his letter St. James suggests that the state of the person receiving the sacrament should be such that there be no guilt whatsoever, but so great is the efficacy of the sacrament that should there be some sins, they will be forgiven. Many believe that St. James had in mind the combination of the two sacraments: Penance and Anointing.

St. James is not writing technical details on the sacraments but he is giving homely advice about well-known matters. The prayer of the priests suggests to him the universal power of prayer and its suitability in the day of illness: "pray one for another that you may be healed" (5;16). The cure may not be infallibly obtained, but the prayer of just men is of great power.