What Does “Anointing of the Sick” Mean in the Bible?
The sacrament for people who are seriously ill and for the elderly. The priest anoints them with oil and prays for them.
It can mean
- The sign: the priest anoints the forehead and the hands with blessed oil and prays for the sick person.
- Not only at the end: it is not only for those who are about to die. It can be received as soon as a person begins to be in danger because of illness or old age.
- In the Bible: the Letter of James asks the sick person to call the presbyters of the Church. They pray over him and anoint him with oil.
Today
It can be received at home, in the hospital or in church, sometimes during Mass.
Where it appears in the Bible
Mark 6:13
What the Bible says
Mark 6:13
And they cast out many devils, and anointed with oil many that were sick, and healed them.
Douay-Rheims Bible (Challoner revision), public domain.
Source: Catechism 1499, 1510, 1513, 1514 and 1517