Sacraments of Healing

Reconciliation and Anointing of the Sick

There are two sacraments of healing in Catholic sacramental life, the Sacrament of Reconciliation and the Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick. The goal of each sacramental rite is to bring God’s healing to the sick through Jesus the Christ and in the power of the Holy Spirit.

The Sacrament of Reconciliation is an encounter with the mercy of God. It is the process whereby a person whose actions or lack of actions has wounded one’s relationship with himself/herself, with others and or with God. Jesus has given the community of His disciples a way to be reconciled with the whole People of God who has been affected by the reality of human sin and evil. Through the ministry of the priest confessor, a person who seeks healing from sin can be assured that (s)he has been forgiven both by God and the community through the confession of sins, the absolution of God through the church and the doing of one’s penance to begin making up for the harm caused by one’s words, actions or lack of action.

Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick, in the course of our human life, we experience physical, psychological or spiritual illness. The Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick was given by Jesus to be a sign of his healing presence in the life of the sick person so they might be healed of the cause of one’s illnes. The Sacrament of the Sick is administered by the priest by anointing the sick person on the forehead and the palms of the hands, invoking God to bring healing to the ill person through the power of the Holy Spirit. This sacrament heals the cause of sin in one’s life so they can be healed and set free. This sacrament may be received as often as necessary to help restore the sick to full health once again.