I got through my procedure fine, and am at home loafing and letting my husband wait on me hand and foot. Thank you for praying for me.
Wednesday evening I received Anointing of the Sick, after the 5:30 Mass (the daily Masses in our parish are in the evening, except Friday for the school Mass). The Gospel reading of the day was apt, dealing with Jesus doing both physical and spiritual healing. The priest normally gives a short mini homily, and he mentioned that 21% of the gospels' texts deal with Jesus healing ministry. Which is really kind of amazing.
Fr. H. seemed happy that I had asked him to anoint me. He is still relatively new to the parish, and getting to know people. He had heard my confession previously, and that is when I asked him. I liked his style of hearing confession, he doesn't try to rush you through, and gave thoughtful counsel. There was another lady being anointed, so he did both of us. It was a little funny, he asked my husband where to find the aspergillum, to sprinkle holy water with. He hasn't been here long enough to know all the nooks and crannies in the sacristy. I get the impression that he really loves the sacraments. (which I suppose is a requirement of the vocation.)
The ceremony of anointing itself is very lovely and comforting. He laid his hands on our heads, and anointed us on our foreheads and palms in the form of a cross. The ritual has space throughout for the names of the persons receiving the sacrament. It is not at all impersonal.
Afterwards the other lady and I chatted a bit ( we knew each other) and wished each other good luck with our procedures.
I left the chrism (I guess it is properly called the oil of the infirm) on my forehead when I went to bed. When I woke up in the middle of the night, I could feel the oil on my finger, and re-trace the cross. That was a feeling of closeness to God.
I am grateful to Vatican II for restoring this sacrament to its original meaning, of being for health and healing, and not just imminent danger of death. Its roots are in Scripture, James 5:14, which doesn't mention death. Of course it is still administered, with Viaticum, to people who are dying. People of my father's generation and older learned it as Extreme Unction, and still associated it with death. When one of us suggested it to Dad in a previous illness, he said, "Well I'm not *that* bad yet!" Ookay. However I'm glad that he did want it a few days before he passed away, and seemed to receive peace from it.
One thing I find a bit touching are the stoles that priests wear to hear confession and anoint the infirm. They are purple, and not the same ones that match the vestments for Mass. They are probably given them at the time of ordination. You can tell someone who has been a priest for a number of years; their stole will show signs of wear. Fr. H. has been a priest for 30 years, and his stole was frayed and worn. I'm sure they could get a new stole if they wanted one, but it is a witness to their service to the people of God.
So far I'm not having much pain; keeping it at bay with ice and Celebrex. My husband went to the pharmacy and got them to fill the prescription they gave me for some high powered pills with hydrocodone, just in case. Hopefully I won't have to use them. That stuff gives me nightmares. The worst part of the procedure was waking up afterwards and feeling very drunk for a while. There is a reason why I don't drink much.
I feel that the healing from Anointing of the Sick is as much psychological and spiritual, and I certainly don't discount the physical. I am the world's worst chicken, but I wasn't fearful. If any of you have a reason to receive this sacrament, I strongly encourage it. I feel that it is a great help and consolation.
I’m glad that all went well and that you are on the road back to wellness.
ReplyDeleteKatherine, so glad you came through so well. And glad you received the sacrament!
ReplyDeleteIf any of you have a reason to receive this sacrament, I strongly encourage it.
ReplyDeleteEver since the 1980s I have lived in parishes that have administered the Sacrament of the Sick regularly at Mass usually two to four times a year and encouraged wide use of it. Often many people ended up receiving it. The first people were the obviously frail and elderly, but as the lines got longer more people joined in. In our large parish usually all three priests join in its administration.
I began in the eighties when I was diagnosed with high blood pressure, in large part to remind myself how vulnerable I am. Although many of the mentally ill whom I served have very obvious symptoms which interfere with their lives, my symptomless disease was just a heart attack or stroke away from being as devastating as theirs. So the sacrament became the sign of my condition.
Besides receiving it communally I also received it on one occasion when I was in the hospital for an episode of a-feb. A priest whom I did not know came around and asked if he could anoint me. I said that was fine. As he began to administer the sacrament I realized he was doing in the form of extreme unction which includes confession (without the recital of any sins), and a plenary indulgence. I had not realized it still existed. The idea was that even if you are not fully conscious but would have had the intention of confessing your sins you are completely absolved (a kind of get out of jail free card).
I suppose that following that reasoning people who receive this form even if they don't know they are going to confession receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Anyway since I knew what was going on I did. This was an older priest who obviously came from a time when the sacraments were viewed as working automatically rather than in our modern practice that emphasizes active participation.
Glad that things went well for you.
Glad you were able to avail yourself of the sacrament, Jack. I assume people who had a mental illness could also receive anointing of the sick, but I don't know how many of them know that they could. Maybe parishes need to have more awareness of that.
DeleteOne thing has always puzzled me; someone who is sentenced to death was in the past unable to receive the sacrament prior to execution, because technically they weren't sick. I haven't heard if that has changed. I am of course against the death penalty. But someone facing elective surgery is not technically sick prior to it, either, so it seems there was a bit of ecclesial hair-splitting.
BTW, I apologize for not inserting a break into this rather long post, but I typed it on my Kindle Fire, and the break icon is grayed out. I usually would type it on our pc in the basement, but can't do stairs at the moment.
ReplyDeleteFixed that, back to doing stairs (slowly!)
DeleteStairs already! Fast progress. Happy to hear it. :)
DeleteGlad to hear you're recovering, Katherine.
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ReplyDeleteIS THIS SITE NO LONGER ACTIVE? LAST POSTING WAS 8 DAYS AGO.
ReplyDeleteI see that a couple of posts are pending, with people probably still working on them.
DeleteJimmy, you would be welcome to post here, too.
Yes, a reply worthy of Dorothy Day who said don't complain about the garbage, do something about it.
DeleteSorry Betty has been ill the last week. A back sprain followed by a case of pneumonia. Both are slowly improving.
Sorry to hear that Betty has been ill! Praying for her healing.
DeleteJim P seems to have disappeared again. I’m sorry that Betty has been having a hard time. I hope she is back to normal soon.
ReplyDelete