Anointing of the Sick
Anointing of the Sick is administered to bring spiritual and physical strength for anyone suffering from mental, spiritual or physical illness, for those preparing for surgery, and for those who are terminally ill (Last Rites). Anointing of the Sick provides the recipients with a number of graces, including a union with the Passion of Christ, which makes their suffering holy; and, in the case of terminal illness, the grace to prepare for death, so that they may meet God in hope rather than in fear.
If you or anyone you know would like to receive this sacrament, call the parish office 603.224.2328.
Why are you interested in receiving the sacraments? What are sacraments anyway?
1. The sacraments are efficacious signs of grace, instituted by Christ and entrusted to the Church, by which divine life is dispensed to us. (CCC 1131) Saint Augustine described the sacraments as an “outward and visible sign of an inward and invisible grace.”
2. In short, the word sacrament comes from the Latin word sacramentum. A sacramentum was a sacred oath of allegiance taken by a Roman soldier. Just as the soldier’s oath signified the beginning of a new life, the sacraments (especially Baptism and the Eucharist,) give us new life in Christ.
3. Sacraments are not starting or stopping points or boxes to check on our journey of faith. They are tangible gifts from an intangible world that help to nourish, strengthen and renew our lifelong relationship with Christ.