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THE
ANOINTING OF THE SICK - A SACRAMENT OF LOVE
October 27, 2002
Fr. George Smiga
Matthew
22:34-46
If there
is one thing that has been made clear to me in over twenty-five
years of priestly ministry, it is the truth that love never
fails. In the most desperate situations, when there seemed
to be no reason for hope or encouragement, love has the capability
of standing firm. In the midst of unbelievable tragedy such
as the loss of a child in death or the loss of honor or the
economic collapse of a family; if that family can stand together
in love, they have the possibility of surviving and growing.
In the midst of the deepest depression, when there does not
seem to be anything worthwhile or any ability of moving forward,
people who can open themselves to the love of others can rally
and recover.
Love is
a tremendous force, a force that has the possibility of supporting
us, of saving us, and of healing us. That is why today's gospel
is important. When Jesus responds to the question, "which
is the greatest of all the commandments," he points to
the two sources of love; the love that comes to us from God
and the love that come to us from one another. This is particularly
important this weekend because in a few minutes we are going
to celebrate the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick and
what this Sacrament attempts to do is to place us into contact
with God's love and with the love of the community. Certainly
those who are sick, those who are dealing with the traumas
of physical and emotional maladies, need the sustaining power
of love.
What could be more frightening than to know that cancer is
growing within you or to watch yourself deteriorate with advancing
years. Sickness and death have a tremendous power of robbing
us of joy, of isolating us, of drawing us into depression.
The Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick proclaims that
God's love is near and that the love of the community supports
those who are sick among us. So in a few moments as those
who are requesting the Sacrament come forward, let us all
assist them by our prayers, by our song. For we all should
know that it is only a matter of time before every person
here has to deal with sickness, has to deal with pain and
eventually with death. How can one face such realities? Only
with the power of love; the love of God and the love of one
another.
A number
of years ago, Pope John Paul II was celebrating the Anointing
of the Sick in a nursing home in Rome and he addressed those
who were about to be anointed in the following words: he said
to them, "Cheer up! God is with you. Yes, I know that
you suffer, but God is near. Entrust yourselves to God as
you would entrust yourself to a loving mother or father. If
God has allowed you to suffer, it is because God sees something
in it that we cannot see today and so your love and your support
come from the knowledge that God will never let you down."
If we
could believe the words of John Paul II we could obtain unbelievable
support and healing. God will never let us down. The Sacrament
of the Anointing of the Sick tells those who are dealing with
sickness that God's love is present and that our love is present.
It is that truth that we maintain, that truth that we profess,
that truth that we offer to those who come forward now for
the sacrament.
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