Anointing of the Sick

St. Joseph offers the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick on the second Thursday of each month as part of the 6:00 p.m. daily Mass.  This Sacrament is offered to all of those suffering from serious physical illness, to the elderly burdened with informities of age, and to anyone about to undergo major surgery.  No longer limited to those near danger of death, this Sacrament, through the grace of the Holy Spirit, brings healing, including the strength to resist temptation, overcome anxieties, and have faith in God's power.  Those receiving the Sacrament also find comfort in the communal prayer and encouragement of others.  The healing Mass will be announced in our weekly bulletin as dates approach.  You may also contact the Church office for more information about receiving the Sacrament.

"In the Church's Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick, through the ministry of the priest, it is Jesus who touches the sick to heal them from sin – and sometimes even from physical ailment. His cures were signs of the arrival of the Kingdom of God. The core message of his healing tells us of his plan to conquer sin and death by his dying and rising.

The Rite of Anointing tells us there is no need to wait until a person is at the point of death to receive the Sacrament. A careful judgment about the serious nature of the illness is sufficient.

When the Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick is given, the hoped-for effect is that, if it be God's will, the person be physically healed of illness. But even if there is no physical healing, the primary effect of the Sacrament is a spiritual healing by which the sick person receives the Holy Spirit's gift of peace and courage to deal with the difficulties that accompany serious illness or the frailty of old age.

~from the United States Catholic Catechism for Adults"
 

via the USCCB