The Anointing of the Sick is celebrated by a priest and members of the parish community. It can be celebrated in a church, at home, or in the hospital. The sacrament is not an isolated moment; it is a part of the Church's pastoral care of the sick, a ministry of the healing community. In many parishes, the pastor and members of the parish community dedicate themselves to making regular visits to people who are hospitalized or homebound. Visitors from their parishes remind these people of God's presence and invite them to participate in the parish's celebration of the Anointing of the Sick so that the whole community may pray with and for them.
The Scriptures are an important part of the celebration of this sacrament and remind us of God's love and power to heal. The stories of Jesus working wonders in the lives of the sick and the dying give us hope. The Church's reflections on God's healing and the Church's faith in God's mercy help draw us deeper into the mystery of God's love expressed in this sacrament.
The healing touch of Jesus is experienced when the priest places his hands on the head of the person who is sick. Family members and others who are gathered may also touch the sick person. This laying on of hands is accompanied by prayer. The action and words are a way of symbolically lifting up the sick person to the Spirit's healing and are a sign of the community's support in prayer.
Following the laying on of hands, the priest anoints the forehead and hands of the sick person, using oil which was blessed by the bishop during Holy Week. This oil expresses the concern of the whole diocese, the whole Church. As the priest anoints the sick person, he says a prayer asking for the healing comfort and peace of the risen Lord.
Eucharist, the central experience of our sacramental life, is also a part of the celebration of this sacrament. It is a source of nourishment for the healing process. It is also a sign that the sick person shares in the life of the community. If the sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick is not celebrated in church, the priest and members of the community bring the Eucharist to the person at home or in the hospital.
As with every sacrament, the Anointing of the Sick includes a period for quiet reflection and thanksgiving. The sick person gives thanks for God's presence and for the spirit of healing offered through the ministry of the Church. Others who are present thank God for the witness that the sick persons gives to his or her faith in the Lord.