Tel: 954-753-3330
Email: setonparishoffice@seasrc.org
Not a sacrament for those only who are at the point of death
As soon as anyone of the faithful begins to be in danger of death from sickness or old age, the time for him to receive this Sacrament has indeed arrived.
The faithful should ask for the Sacrament of anointing as soon as the right time comes and should not follow the wrongful practice of delaying the reception of the Sacrament.
The Sacrament may be repeated if the sick person recovers after the anointing but becomes ill once again, or if, during the same illness, the person's condition becomes more serious. A person should be anointed before surgery when a dangerous illness is a reason for the intervention.
Moreover, "old people may be anointed if they are in weak condition even though no dangerous illness is present. Sick children may be anointed if they have sufficient use of reason to be comforted by this Sacrament. The faithful should be encouraged to ask for the anointing and, as soon as the time for the anointing comes, to receive it with faith and devotion, not misusing the Sacrament by putting it off.
For those who are about to depart from this life, the Church offers the person Penance, Anointing of the Sick, and the Eucharist as Viaticum (food for the journey) given at the end of life. These are "the sacraments that prepare for our heavenly homeland." These rites are highly valued by Catholics as powerful aids to a good death. Since Holy Communion is the effective sign of Christ's Paschal Mystery, it becomes for the recipient the opportunity to unite one's suffering and dying to that of Christ with the hope of life eternal with him.
The special words proper to Viaticum are added:
"May the Lord Jesus protect you and lead you to everlasting life. Amen."