Jesus showed great concern for the bodily and spiritual welfare of the sick and commanded his followers to do the same. Scripture teaches us that when one of us suffers, we all suffer - and all of God's creation suffers with us. Like the Sacrament of Penance, The Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick is a sacrament of healing. Whenever and wherever it is celebrated, Christ strengthens the faithful who are afflicted by illness, providing them with the strongest means of support. Those who join the sick in prayerful celebration can experience a deepening of their own faith and compassionate love.
The Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick was once referred to as "the Last Rites" or "Extreme Unction" because it became more and more common to celebrate it only when death was imminent. Following the Second Vatican Council, the Church restored this ancient sacrament (described in the Gospels and in the Letter of St. James) to its original purpose as an aid to all who are seriously ill or afflicted and able to receive the Sacraments of the Church.
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