Day 207: Celebrating the Anointing of the Sick (2025)

Sat Jul 26 2025

The Anointing of the Sick is not just for those on the verge of death but for any faithful suffering from a grave illness. Fr. Mike explains that because of this, we don’t have to put this sacrament off to the very end; instead, we can enjoy the graces it confers as often as is fitting throughout a lifetime. This section also discusses how we can celebrate the Anointing of the Sick. Today’s readings are Catechism paragraphs 1514-1519.

Summary

Summary of "The Catechism in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz)" Episode: Day 207: Celebrating the Anointing of the Sick (2025) Release Date: July 26, 2025

Introduction

In Day 207 of The Catechism in a Year podcast, Fr. Mike Schmitz delves into the sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick, covering paragraphs 1514 to 1519 of the Catechism of the Catholic Church. This episode emphasizes the profound nature of suffering, God's redemptive power, and the call for believers to trust in God's plan, whether in moments of healing or enduring illness.

Opening Prayer and Invocation [00:06 - 02:30]

Fr. Mike begins the episode with a heartfelt prayer, invoking the Holy Trinity and expressing trust in God's unwavering love and goodness. He emphasizes the importance of surrendering one's life to God, acknowledging His sovereignty in both healing and suffering.

Fr. Mike Schmitz [01:15]: "We surrender our heart, entire lives to you. Because you are good. You are our Father and you love us."

Understanding the Anointing of the Sick [02:31 - 10:45]

Fr. Mike provides an overview of the Anointing of the Sick, clarifying that it is not reserved solely for those nearing death, as was historically misconstrued under the term "extreme unction" or "last rites." Instead, the sacrament is applicable to any faithful person facing grave illness or the dangers of old age.

Key Points:

Eligibility: Any individual experiencing serious illness or the dangers of aging can receive the sacrament (Paragraphs 1514-1519).

Fr. Mike Schmitz [04:50]: "The anointing of the sick is not only for those who are at the point of death. It goes on to say, as soon as any of the faithful begins to be in danger of death from sickness or old age, the fitting time for him to receive this sacrament has already arrived."
Repetition of the Sacrament: If a recipient recovers and later faces another serious illness, the sacrament can be administered again.
Administration by the Clergy: Only priests, bishops, and presbyters can administer the Anointing of the Sick. Pastors have the responsibility to educate and encourage the faithful to seek this sacrament during times of grave illness.

Practical Application and Pastoral Insights [10:46 - 20:00]

Fr. Mike shares practical advice and pastoral observations regarding the timely administration of the sacrament. He underscores the importance of not delaying the request for a priest's presence, highlighting the compassionate nature of priests who are willing to attend to the sick regardless of circumstances.

Key Insights:

Immediate Action: Families are encouraged to call for a priest as soon as a serious illness is identified, rather than postponing until it's potentially too late.

Fr. Mike Schmitz [15:30]: "Whenever there's serious illness, go ahead and call for the priests. Don't wait to call for the priest, but to act while there's still time."
Overcoming Reservations: Some families hesitate to involve priests to avoid alarming the sick person. Fr. Mike challenges this by suggesting that facing the reality of one's condition can aid in spiritual preparation for possible passing.
Triple Sacrament Connection: The Anointing of the Sick often accompanies the Sacrament of Penance and the Eucharist, forming a trio that supports the sick person’s spiritual journey toward eternal life.

Fr. Mike Schmitz [18:45]: "The Eucharist, Jesus Christ, that helps us on this last journey from this life to eternal life... the Eucharist should always be the last sacrament of the earthly journey."

Illustrative Stories and Personal Reflections [20:01 - 28:00]

Fr. Mike shares a touching anecdote about a priest named Father Tom, known for his diligence and compassionate presence as a hospital chaplain. Despite being humorously late on one occasion, Father Tom's dedication exemplifies the selfless service priests provide to those in need.

Fr. Mike Schmitz [23:20]: "He just help the soul get to heaven. And just that sense of, oh my gosh, dad, that's what you do. It is incredible."

This story highlights the sacramental role of priests as facilitators of God's mercy, reinforcing the idea that all sacraments, including the Anointing of the Sick, are tangible expressions of divine grace.

Encouragement and Concluding Remarks [28:01 - End]

Fr. Mike wraps up the episode by celebrating the sacraments as gifts of the Lord's mercy and grace, which not only restore health but also provide strength for the spiritual journey. He encourages listeners to embrace these sacraments wholeheartedly and praises God for His closeness and generosity.

Fr. Mike Schmitz [27:50]: "All the sacraments are gifts of the Lord's grace that come and meet us. They bring us into his family. They restore us to health. They give us strength for the journey."

He concludes with a personal note of prayer for the listeners and a reminder to maintain faith and trust in God's plan.

Key Takeaways

The Anointing of the Sick is a sacrament designed for anyone facing serious illness or the challenges of old age, not just those at death's door.
Timeliness is crucial; families and individuals are encouraged to seek the sacrament early, ensuring ample time for spiritual preparation and grace.
Priests play a vital role in administering the sacrament, offering both the physical rite and spiritual support necessary for the faithful during their time of need.
Sacraments are interconnected, and their administration during times of grave illness reinforces the believer's journey towards eternal life with God.
Trust and Faith: Embracing the sacrament involves deep trust in God's love and His redemptive power over suffering and illness.

Final Thoughts

Fr. Mike Schmitz's exploration of the Anointing of the Sick in this episode provides listeners with a comprehensive understanding of its significance, administration, and spiritual benefits. By demystifying the sacrament and addressing common misconceptions, Fr. Mike invites believers to engage more deeply with their faith, especially in times of hardship. This episode serves as both an educational resource and a source of comfort, encouraging the faithful to rely on God's grace and the supportive embrace of the Catholic community.

Transcript

A (0:06)

Hi, my name is Father Mike Schmitz and you're listening to the Catechism in a Year podcast where we encounter God's plan of sheer goodness for us revealed in Scripture and passed down through the tradition of the Catholic faith. The Catechism in the Year is brought to you by ascension. In 365 days, we'll read through the Catechism of the Catholic Church, discovering our identity and God's family as we journey together toward our heavenly home. This is day 207. We're reading paragraphs 1514 to 1519. As always, I'm using the Ascension edition of the Catechism, which includes a foundations of Faith approach, but you can follow along with any recent version of the Catechism of the Catholic Church. You can also download your own Catechism in a Year Reading plan by visiting ascensionpress.com ciy and you can also click follow or subscribe in your podcast app for daily updates and daily notifications. It is day 207, as I said, we're reading paragraphs 1514 to 1519 continuing to talk about the Anointing of the Sick Yesterday we talked about what's the at the heart of anointing of the sick, as well as just the reality that God has He doesn't removed. We talked about this last couple days, actually. He hasn't removed our suffering or illness, but he has redeemed it. He's transformed it. And he invites us not only yes, to pray for sick, for the sick, to pray for healing, but also to be willing to take up our cross and follow after Jesus. And this. There's something powerful about both of those things. There's something so powerful about a willingness to say, yeah, I'm going to pray for healing, so I'm going to trust you, Lord. And if I don't get healed, I'm going to trust you, Lord. That is our invitation today. That's our invitation always. And so let's pray because that is a, that is a. That's a high call. That's a high call for every one of us. And so we pray in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Father in Heaven, we give you praise and glory. Thank you so much. Thank you so much for bringing us to this day. You call us to trust in you with our whole heart, mind, soul and strength. You call us to love you with our whole heart, mind, soul and strength. And so we do. We surrender our heart, entire lives to you. Because you are good. You are our Father and you love us. We know that you do. And so we declare our trust in your love for us in healing and outside of healing, in abundance of life and in danger of imminent death. Lord God, we trust in you. Help us to trust you always. In Jesus name we pray. Amen. In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. It is day 207. We are reading paragraphs 1514, 1519. Who receives and who administers this sacrament in case of grave illness? The anointing of the sick is not a sacrament for those only who are at the point of death. Hence, as soon as anyone of the faithful begins to be in danger of death from sickness or old age, the fitting time for him to receive this sacrament has certainly already arrived. If a sick person who has received this anointing recovers his health, he can, in the case of another grave illness, receive this sacrament again. If during the same illness, the person's condition becomes more serious, the sacrament may be repeated. It is fitting to receive the anointing of the sick just prior to a serious operation. The same holds for the elderly, whose frailty becomes more pronounced. Let him call for the presbyters of the Church. Only priests, bishops and presbyters are ministers of the anointing of the sick. It is the duty of pastors to instruct the faithful on the benefits of this sacrament. The faithful should encourage the sick to call for a priest to receive this sacrament. The sick should prepare themselves to receive it with good dispositions, assisted by their pastor and the whole ecclesial community, which is invited to surround the sick in a special way through their prayers and fraternal attention. How is this sacrament celebrated? Like all the sacraments, the anointing of the sick is a liturgical and communal celebration. Whether it takes place in the family home, a hospital or church for a single sick person, or a whole group of sick persons, it is very fitting to celebrate it within the Eucharist, the memorial of the Lord's Passover. If circumstances suggest it, the celebration of the sacrament can be preceded by the sacrament of penance and followed by the Sacrament of the Eucharist as the sacrament of Christ's Passover. The Eucharist should always be the last sacrament of the earthly journey, the viaticum for passing over to eternal life. Word and sacrament form an indivisible whole. The liturgy of the Word, preceded by an act of repentance, opens the celebration. The words of Christ, the witness of the Apostles, awaken the faith of the sick person and of the community to ask the Lord for the strength of his Spirit, the celebration of the sacrament includes the following principal. The priests of the Church in silence, lay hands on the sick. They pray over them in the faith of the Church. This is the epiclesis proper to this Sacrament. They then anoint them with oil, blessed if possible, by the Bishop. These liturgical actions indicate what grace this sacrament confers upon the sick. Right, Just a couple short paragraphs today, paragraph 1514-1519. But it highlights a couple things that might get missed. Remember back in the day, we talked about these yesterday. The anointing of the sick was reserved more and more for people who are at the point of death. And so it was called extreme unction or last rites. Right. And yet the anointing of the sick is not only for those who are at the point of death. It goes on to say, in 1514, as soon as any of the faithful begins to be in danger of death from sickness or old age, the fitting time to receive the sacrament has already arrived. In fact, any person with serious illness, grave illness, any person with the serious. I'm talking like, not a cold. You wouldn't receive the anointing of the sick for a cold. You wouldn't receive the anointing of the sick necessarily for, like a sprained ankle. But if you're going into surgery, yes, you'd receive the anointing of the sick. If you had a grave illness that you needed to have some kind of procedure of any sort, whether it was surgery or not, yes, you can receive the anointing of the sick. It's important to realize that, yes, this sacrament is for grave illness, but not to wait. This sacrament can be repeated. It says here, it says that if the sick person who's been anointed recovers their health and they get sick again. Yeah, you can receive the anointing of the sick again. If a person is at, you know, level seven of grave illness, they get anointed and they go to level nine of grave illness, that another anointing could be called for. And that recognition that when there's a change or more gravity to the illness, there can be another anointing of the sick. One important note, though, is, gosh, not to wait. Not to wait for. To ask for the priest. There are so many times I'll talk to my brother priest. I mentioned yesterday how humbled I am by my brothers, my brother priests who, like, show up, rain or shine, snow, sleet or hail, night or day, doesn't matter, they'll show up at any time. And they do it because they love the Lord and they Love their people. But one of the things that they lamented is I talked to so many priests who have said things like, I wish that. That families would have called me sooner. I wish that they would have not waited to the last minute. Because sometimes the last minute comes and it goes, right? And then the moment has passed, the person has died. Whenever there's serious illness, go ahead and call for the priests. One of the things that I've heard people say, though, is like, yeah, the family said they didn't want to scare the person. You see the priest coming, they don't want to scare the person. And I understand sometimes people have certain associations with priests in general, and they have certain associations with priests in particular coming to their bedside in illness. But isn't it better for that person to know that, no, this is the serious moment? Like, no, this might end in death? I think what a. What a. I don't want to say cruel, but it potentially could be cruel, right? To not let the person you love know how serious their illness is. So they can't. So they could maybe. Maybe prepare their heart to see the Lord. Maybe they. Maybe if they knew how serious it was while they still had time, they could. They could get ready. And one of the things that the anointing of the sick does is it helps the person get ready. So this is just me sliding this across the table for any. Everyone who's listening now, don't wait to call for the priest, but to act while there's still time. Now, it goes on to say that sometimes we have this kind of triple sacrament happening in the anointing in the last rites, right? You have your last confession, you have the anointing of the sick and then receiving Holy Communion are called viaticum. Viaticum, the bread for the journey, that food for the journey, the food that strengthens us. The Eucharist, Jesus Christ, that helps us on this last journey from this life to eternal life, from. From this world, God willing, to heaven. In fact, I remember there was a. There's a priest in our diocese, his name's Father Tom, and Father Tom's always known for being late to stuff. And I think we're having an ordination or something like this, a big celebration where all the priests were there, the bishop was there, and Father Tom came rolling in. He's also the hospital chaplain. And Father Tom came rolling in right at the last minute. And someone gave him a hard time, like, hey, Tom, you know. You know, you late again kind of thing. And he's. And he just simply. He just had this calm demeanor, and he just kind of looked at the guy and said, nope. I just. Yeah, yeah, I'm late. I just. I just help the soul get to heaven. She sits at a bedside Give the anointing of the sick, the apostolic pardon. Just help the soul get to heaven. And just that sense of, oh, my gosh, dad, that's what you do. And that's. That's what you just did. It is incredible. And it's. It's what. What an incredible gift. All the sacraments are gifts of the Lord's mercy that comes and meets us today. All the sacraments are gifts of the Lord's grace that come and meet us. Meet us. They bring us into his family. They restore us to health. They give us strength for the journey. They give us the ability to. To follow him in what we'll talk about soon. The holy matrimony and holy orders. What a grace it is. What a good God we have that he says, don't stay far away because I'm not gonna. He comes close, so we can also come close. Man. It's worth it to take time to just praise God tonight for this. Praise God today for this. Guys, the last couple days have been kind of longer episodes. Today's a bit shorter, so I guess we take the wins when we can. I just want to let you. I'm praying for you. Please pray for me. My name is Father Mike. I cannot wait to see you tomorrow. God bless.