Anointing of the Sick
November 7/8, 2009
Fr. George Smiga
Mark 12:38-44
At our liturgy today we celebrate the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick. It is appropriate for us today to do so in this context. Not all of us here are sick. Not all of us are dealing with physical pain or emotional stress or the struggle that comes with old age. Yet all of us here are connected to the people who will be receiving the sacrament. In faith, we believe that we are the Body of Christ and when one member of the body suffers, it is the responsibility of every member of the body to support that person through our love and through our prayers. That is what we are doing today. We surround those who are dealing with sickness and support them with our presence. The Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick then is a sacrament of the entire church, of the whole community. We will pray this sacrament together.
In a special way, the sacrament, of course, addresses those who will be coming forward to be anointed. In that context, the widow, in today’s Gospel, is a good example for those who suffer. The widow, although she is poor, does not let her poverty stop her from giving. When we are sick, there is the inclination to shut down, to believe that we have nothing to give. Those who are sick can often conclude that the little they can offer is of no value. The Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick strengthens those who receive it to see themselves as a child of God with true value. Even though those who are sick have less energy and more pain, they are still able to offer what they have, to offer their wisdom and their love. We pray in the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick, that those who struggle with sickness will always know their worth and value and believe that even though they wish they had more to give, the little that they have will be treasured and valued.
So as we celebrate this sacrament, we certainly pray that those who are sick will recover and that their pain will be relieved. But we also pray that they will always know their value in God’s eyes and believe that whatever they can offer, will be a blessing both to them and to our whole community.
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