chapter 11

The Sacraments
Of Healing

O
nce, a paralyzed man carried on a mat by of sins and the power not to err again, this sacrament
four of his friends was brought to Jesus. reconciles us with God and man.
When He saw their faith, He said to the
paralytic, “Child, your sins are forgiven.” As Reconciliation has Four Levels
some scribes criticized Him, Jesus said, “...you may know The sin of a person brings upon him four types of
that the Son of Man has authority to forgive sins on earth.” ruin: the father-child relationship between God and
Afterwards He said to the paralytic, “...pick up your man is disrupted with sin; the relationship between
mat, and go home.” And he went away (Mk. 2:5-11). man and man is ruined; the bond with himself as well
Several times, Jesus has revealed that He has the as with the world is strained.
power to absolve sins. He said to the sinful woman
who washed His feet with her tears, “Your sins are The Sacrament of Reconciliation:
forgiven” (Lk. 7:48). Granting forgiveness to the A Sacrament of Confession
woman caught in adultery, Jesus said, “...from now To err is human. All of us wish for pardon for our sins.
on do not sin anymore” (Jn. 8:11). Jesus entrusted the People of other religions resort to fasting, visiting
Church with His power to forgive sins. The resurrected pilgrim centers and bathing in holy waters for
Jesus appeared to His disciples and said, “As the Father expiation of sins. Humanly speaking, the confession
has sent me, so I send you...Receive the Holy Spirit. Whose of sins releases and helps reconcile with others. When
sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you we confess our sins to a priest, entrusted by Jesus
retain are retained.” (Jn. 20:21-23). with the power to forgive sins and representative of
The purpose of the sacraments of Penance and the Church community, we can reconcile ourselves
the Anointing of the Sick is to grant forgiveness of with God and the Church community and restore our
sins and restore health in a special way. Hence they lost status as the child of God. Hence, the core factor
are called the Sacraments of Healing. of this sacrament is confession of sins to a priest. St.
Augustine teaches, “Confession of evil deeds is the
THE SACRAMENT OF RECONCILIATION beginning of good deeds.” To denote the character of
We, the sinners, experience God’s infinite love and this sacrament, it is called Confession.
mercy through this sacrament. Granting forgiveness

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60 Church: The Worshipping Community

A Sacrament of Pardon and Forgiveness 4. Confession: Confess every sin to the priest.
Jesus revealed the depth of His Father’s love and Especially mention the nature and number of mortal
mercy through the parable of the prodigal son. We sins. This way, we reveal our broadminded attitude to
personally experience His love and mercy when we both Jesus and the Church.
are granted pardon for our sins. When God grants
pardon, our sins are forgiven. Reconciliation is a 5. Penance: Carefully pay attention to the penance
sacrament of pardon and forgiveness which allows us imposed by the priest and fulfill it. In addition to
to experience the pardoning nature of Jesus. the given penance, we may resort to some other
remedial acts on our own. Once the priest finishes
Forgiveness of Sins Through the Priest giving penance, bend your head in respect and accept
Jesus has entrusted His Church with the power to the forgiveness of sins. When prompted by the
forgive sins. This sacrament is celebrated through priest, recite the act of contrition and implore Jesus
the priest who is the representative of the Church. for forgiveness of sins and grace. Additionally, we
The priest will never reveal the sins confessed to him can recite the act of contrition while preparing for
in any circumstance. He will never say or act on the confession and calling to mind our sins.
basis of what he heard in the confession. He is obliged Let us try to receive this sacrament that grants
to keep it a tight secret even at the cost of his death. forgiveness of sin and gives health and peace to both
body and mind, as frequently as possible.
Five Requisites to Receive the Sacrament
of Reconciliation Worthily: ANOINTING OF THE SICK
1. Examination of conscience: Examine carefully During Jesus’ public life, He healed many sick people.
the period of our life since the last confession Roaming across many towns and villages, Jesus
and call to mind our failings. There will be sins of preached the gospel and healed the sick and the
commission and sins of omission. The examination afflicted (Mt. 9:35). The book of Genesis affirms that
of conscience should be done with respect to the Ten sickness and suffering crept into the lives of people
Commandments, the precepts of the Church and the on account of sin. God created man in a state of bliss.
duties according to our vocation in life. When man committed sin, happiness was replaced
by disease and pain. Sickness is a condition that
2. Contrition: Every error is an act against God’s love. persuades man to turn to God.
When contrition arises out of the thought that we hurt God grants healing. Man, when wrought with
God with sin and of the consequent sorrow and an illness, should take refuge in God. This conviction
aversion to sin, it is called ‘perfect’ contrition. Then was very strong in the ancient Church. St. James says,
we are able to confess like the prodigal son, “Lord, I “Is any among you sick? He should summon the presbyters
have sinned against you.” The core of contrition is of the church, and they should pray over him and anoint
the mental attitude to avoid all the occasions to fall (him) with oil in the name of the Lord, and the prayer
into sin and return to Jesus. of faith will save the sick person, and the Lord will raise
him up. If he has committed any sins, he will be forgiven.”
3. Resolution: Real repentance leads us to a resolution (James 5:14-15)
not to repeat our mistakes and a readiness to avoid The Anointing of the Sick grants forgiveness
the circumstances leading to sin. We have to pray for of sin and recovery from sickness, and thereby gives
the blessing to fulfill the resolution taken. health both for our body and spirit. The power of the
Holy Spirit received through this sacrament leads
a patient to the health of his soul; God willing, he

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regains his health as well. The Anointing of the Sick the ensuing anointing, he prays for forgiveness of
helps us place our trust in the divine mercy and accept sins and health of body and mind. Applying the oil
illness, tribulations and afflictions with equanimity. on the forehead, eyes, ears, lips, hands and feet, the
Generally, we receive this sacrament in a critical celebrant implores God’s mercy to grant pardon for
stage of illness. If necessary, the sacrament can be the sins committed with the different organs.
received more than once. This is followed by the hymn, “God heals those
with desperate hearts.” The community prays for
The Celebration of the Sacrament the patient reciting the karozutha of reconciliation.
“May Christ who, through Baptism, made us The celebrant prays, thanking God for sending His
participate in His death and resurrection, sanctify dear Son to give forgiveness to sinners, health to the
you.” With this prayer, the celebrant sprinkles sick and comfort to the afflicted. He praises God for
holy water in the room of the ill person. Until the granting the patient bodily and spiritual relief as well.
karozutha prayer, the rites of the holy Qurbana are He requests the assistance of Mother Mary, St. Joseph,
followed. Following this, the oil for anointing is St. Thomas and all the saints on behalf of the patient.
blessed with a prayer. “May this anointing relieve After blessing the patient as well as the community,
pain, remove distress, heal wounds and restore health the celebrant makes the patient kiss the cross.
to body and soul.” The prayer ends with a praise of Let us be ready to receive this sacrament of
the Holy Trinity. Extending his right palm downward, healing whenever necessary and experience the love
the celebrant then recites the prayer of blessing. In and mercy of Jesus.

62 Church: The Worshipping Community

 LET US READ AND MEDITATE Teachings of the Fathers of the Church
ON THE WORD OF GOD There is medicine for every ailment. If anyone incurred an
1Cor. 11:27-31 injury with the attack of satan, let him inform the priest and
get treated by the physician. God pardons those who confess
their sins. (Aphrahat)
A Verse to Remember
“Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, Let us Talk About It
and whose sins you retain are retained.” 1. Explain how the Church is entrusted by Jesus with the
(Jn. 20:23) power to forgive sins.
2. What does ‘examination of conscience’ mean?
3. What is the essence of contrition?
Let Us Pray 4. How should one prepare to receive and experience the
Jesus, the eternal priest, please empower forgiveness of sins?
us to offer the holy Qurbana, which You have 5. Describe the sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick.
given to the Church sacrificing Yourself, with
purity of heart.

ACTIVITY: Discuss how the Sacraments of Healing are vital to

the life of the Church. Use the following passages to support your
My Resolution stance on the importance of these sacraments: Mk. 2:1-12; Lk.
Once every two weeks, I will receive the 7:36-49; Jn. 8:1-11; Lk. 15:11-24.

sacrament of Reconciliation.

But we have Baptism, which recon- “You were washed, you were sancti- cal healing. But if God should decide
ciles us with God; why then do we fied, you were justified in the name of to call someone home to himself, he
need a special sacrament of Recon- the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit gives him in the Anointing of the Sick
ciliation? of our God”. One must appreciate the the strength for all the physical and
Baptism does snatch us from the power magnitude of the gift God has given spiritual battles on his final journey.
of sin and death and brings us into the us in the sacraments of Christian ini- In any case, the Anointing of the Sick
new life of the children of God, but it tiation in order to grasp the degree to has the effect of forgiving sins. (Youcat
does not free us from human weakness which sin is excluded for him who has answer 245)
and the inclination to sin. That is why “put on Christ”. But the apostle John
we need a place where we can be rec- also says: “If we say we have no sin, The special grace of the sacrament of
onciled with God again and again. That we deceive ourselves, and the truth is the Anointing of the Sick has as its ef-
place is confession. (Youcat answer 226) not in us”. And the Lord himself taught fects: - the uniting of the sick person
us to pray: “Forgive us our trespasses”. to the passion of Christ, for his own
It does not seem like a modern thing linking our forgiveness of one anoth- good and that of the whole Church; -
to go to confession; it can be difficult er’s offenses to the forgiveness of our the strengthening, peace, and courage
and may cost a great deal of effort at sins that God will grant us. (CCC 1425) to endure in a Christian manner the
first. But it is one of the greatest graces sufferings of illness or old age; - the
that we can receive again and again in How does the Anointing of the Sick forgiveness of sins, if the sick person
our life—it truly renews the soul, com- work? was not able to obtain it through the
pletely unburdens it, leaving it without The Anointing of the Sick imparts sacrament of Penance; - the restora-
the debts of the past, accepted in love, consolation, peace, and strength and tion of health, if it is conducive to the
and equipped with new strength. God is unites the sick person, in his precarious salvation of his soul; - the preparation
merciful, and he desires nothing more situation and his sufferings, with Christ for passing over to eternal life. (CCC
earnestly than for us, too, to lay claim in a profound way. For the Lord expe- 1532)
to his mercy. Someone who has gone to rienced our fears and bore our pains in
confession turns a clean, new page in the his body. For many people the Anoint-
book of his life. (Youcat commentary 226) ing of the Sick brings about physi-

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