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March 29, 2024The Sacraments of healing, Reconciliation and Anointing of the Sick, are extremely misunderstood by both Catholics and non-Catholics. Many Catholics grew up and were poorly catechized about these Sacraments, so hopefully I can help clear up any misinformation and help you better understand the great gift that we receive from Jesus through these Sacraments.
We see the necessity and foundation of the Sacrament of Reconcilitation in the Sacred Scriptures:- Jesus says to the 11 Apostles in the upper room “As the Father has sent me, so I send you. And when He had said this, He breathed on them and said to them, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain and retained.’” John 20:21-23
- Jesus says to the 12 Apostles “Amen I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” Matthew 18:18
Jesus very clearly gives the 12 Apostles, His first priests, the authority and power to forgive sins. Jesus does not give these directions to other disciples, only the Apostles. Disciples are called by Jesus to forgive those who have sinned against them, but the authority he gives to the Apostles is the ability to forgive all sins and not just those committed against the men themselves.
When we receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation/Confession/Penance we’re being forgiven by God Himself, and not just the priest. “As the Father sent me, so I send you.” The priest is Jesus in the celebration of the Sacrament. Fr. Dominic isn’t forgiving you. Jesus is. Having our sins forgiven makes it easier to receive God’s grace and be the best version of ourselves. Sin weighs us down and gets in the way of receiving all the grace God wants to give us and prevents us from fully cooperating with Gods grace. Run, don’t walk, to the sin bin and be forgiven!
Our human condition doesn’t want to admit we’ve done something wrong, but there’s a freedom in saying our sins out loud and hearing from someone that we’re forgiven. Looking at a pretty picture of Jesus or sitting in Church saying sorry in our heart is good, but not the best way to be forgiven or experience forgiveness. If that were enough, Jesus would have told us to do just that. But He didn’t. Jesus gave power and authority to His Apostles, the first priests, and that has continued to be passed down to priests today to forgive sins. That’s the best way to be healed and know we’re forgiven. Run, don’t walk, to the sin bin! Catholics are required to receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation once a year, but I highly recommend receiving the Sacrament every 6-12 weeks.
Now for Anointing of the Sick. First and foremost, it hasn’t been called “Last Rites” since the 50’s and it never should have had that name. Sacraments are for the living, not the dead. Once you die, your soul is in God’s hands and all we can do on earth is pray for you. Sacraments are for the living. So, DON’T WAIT UNTIL GRANDMA IS ON HER LAST FEW BREATHS BEFORE CALLING A PRIEST! Call us as soon as grandma gets to the hospital, or better yet, call us when Grandma starts feeling under the weather at home. If you wait until her final minutes of life and the priest is caught in traffic, we may not make it in time.
Any baptized Catholic who is sick in mind, body, or spirit can receive the Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick as often as they feel it’s necessary. The Sacrament of Anointing is about surrendering to God and seeking the forgiveness of our sins. It’s not about miraculous healings (although those can happen if God allows it). At my parish we celebrate the Anointing of the Sick every first Friday at 7:00pm during our Healing Mass. Many parishes celebrate similar Masses with the Anointing of the Sick. Bring grandma to that while she’s able and if an emergency happens, she’s received the grace to endure the emergency suffering. Please don’t wait until the last minutes of your loved one’s life to call the priest.
God desires your freedom from sin and to surrender ourselves completely to Him and His will. These Sacraments of healing allow us to surrender and receive freedom. Embrace them and do not be afraid!
