Some suggestions to be shared with your family members
Call a priest at the beginning of a serious illness or hospital stay.
Educate the family to understand that this sacrament is for healing.
Invite family members to participate in the celebration of this sacrament.
Do not wait for the last moments when a priest might not be available.
In the last moments, surround the dying with the presence, love and prayer of family.
Administering the sacrament
To make arrangements for a sick loved one to be anointed with the oil of the sick, call the church office at (323) 255-6142, or visit us in person.
The Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick is a powerful and healing ministry meant to be given to the sick during their illness. It is not necessary to wait for the last hours, for it is no longer referred to or thought of as "last rites" or "extreme unction." Even if one dies, this sacrament prepares and gifts the person with healing peace.
This sacrament shares the sacramental gift of Jesus Christ for the purpose of strengthening, encouraging, and healing a person deep within their spirit.
Part of Jesus's ministry was to heal the sick, and he went about curing those who were ill or disabled, showing that suffering and death have no place in the kingdom of God.
Through Jesus's suffering and death, God joins his suffering to the suffering of human beings. By doing this, he transforms and gives it a new meaning.
By his sacrifice, Jesus took hold of suffering and death and eliminated their power to separate us from each other or from God.
Through the sacrament, we are assured that God will raise us up, like Jesus, from our bed of pain and sickness and lead us to eternal life.