the sacraments

The SacramentsSection 4: The Sacraments of Healing

Part 1: The Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation

The Sacrament of Penance is when any sins after Baptism are forgiven and the relationship between sinner and God is repaired.

It is through God’s mercy that we are forgiven.

It can also be called the Sacrament of Conversion, which in Greek means “turning around.”


It is also called the Sacrament of Confession for a person must recognize, confront, and name their sins to take responsibility for them.

It can be called the Sacrament of Forgiveness because through the priest’s absolution, we are forgiven by God.

An action of penance, whether word or deed, is needed to complete the forgiveness cycle.


The penitent and priest form one entity in confession:› Penitent must take the actions of:

Repentance Confession Intention to make amends for sin

› Priest gives, in turn: Absolution for the named sins


Sin is any deliberate offense in thought, word, or deed, against the will of God.

Just because there is no harm does not mean an action is not a sin.

Only individuals have a conscience; groups do not.

An individual's sins hurt the entire Church since we are all intimately united in Christ as His Body.


Jesus Christ has the ability to forgive sins and He passed that on to His Apostles, and now to priests through Apostolic Succession.

“Those sins on Earth you loose with be loosed in Heaven; those sins you bind will be bound in Heaven.”

Christ ate with sinners to show that reconciliation with God is possible.


In giving Peter the keys to Heaven, Jesus shows in Apostolic Succession that people can still be forgiven by God through His priests.

The priest does not forgive the sins, but God does, Who is channeled through the person of His priest.


Mortal sin is an action that totally separates from God and His grace. A person is condemned to eternal death.

To be a mortal sin, a sin must:› Involve a grave matter› The person must fully understand the evil

of the action› Person must give fully consent in

performing the act


A venial sin is a less serious sin against the will of God that does not rupture our relationship with God, but causes a strain.

Heaven is a state of eternal happiness and union with God, fulfilling the deepest human longings.


Jesus called people to conversion, turning toward God, and forgiveness as part of His Earthly mission.

The Trinitarian God of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit is what gives the Apostles ability to forgive sins.

In the Gospel of Mark, Jesus was teaching in a crowded house and friends of a paralytic wanted Jesus to heal him. They lowered the paralytic through the roof of the house and Jesus said “Child, your sin are forgive. Pick up your mat and go home.”


The paralytic picked up his man and walked, showing that forgiveness of sins is linked with healing.

The scribes criticized Jesus saying only God can forgive sins, which ironically made the claim that Jesus was God.

Concupiscence is the tendency to sin as a result of Original Sin.


A person’s first and fundamental conversion is at Baptism, but afterwards, we continue to sin.

We are called to make conversions throughout our life, as we sin and we try to avoid doing so again.

Conversion is not just trying over and over again after performing the same sin, but a movement closer and closer to God as we feel disgust for the sins we commit and do not perform them again.


The Order of Penitents was public penance of Christians in the first few centuries and sometimes last years for the gravest of sins.

Irish monks in the seventh century began performing private penances, which spread throughout the Church.

The Sacrament of Penance then became repeatable, instead of a one time public penance, and formed into what we have today.


The first action of the penitent is repentance, or an attitude of sorrow for a sin committed and a resolution not to sin again. It is a response to God’s grace and forgiveness.

Repentance is the primary act of the penitent. Contrition purely for our love of God is called

“perfect contrition.” Imperfect contrition is for fear of death, Hell,

etc. Both are still gifts from God.


Confession of sins is an honest step of the penitent to see that they have done wrong and have a honest conversation with God.

It is essential to confess mortal sins one can remember, along with venial sins that may weaken our relationship with God, who is present in the priest.

Reparation is making amends for something one did wrong that harmed another and can take the form of penance.


Absolution is when the priest forgives our sins in the name of God and the Church.

After we receive absolution, the penance helps to restore order to the chaos the actions of sin have done; a action of penance balances the chaos of sin.

God welcomes us back home as the father did with the prodigal son, who left his father by his own will, yet came home ashamed and sorrowful for leaving at all.


The Sacrament of Penance, when practiced individually, has the following:› Preparation of priest and penitent› Welcoming the penitent› Reading the Word of God (optional)› Penitent’s confession and acceptance of

penance› Penitent’s prayer and priest’s absolution› Proclamation of praise and dismissal


Examination of Conscience is the moral evaluation of one’s life in preparation for Penance and takes place in the preparation stage of the Sacrament.

The penitent confesses their sins and the priest says a prayer over them.

The priest gives a penance of prayer of good deed and dismisses the penitent.


Penance can take place as a communal celebration, where Scripture is read and an examination of conscience is performed as a group.

A communal prayer and the Lord’s Prayer are prayed for forgiveness, followed by individuals going to confession with a priest.

There is a General Confession and Absolution celebration, but only used in dire, life threatening situations.


The Sacrament of Penance has many effects, including:› The forgiveness of all sins› Reconciliation with God› Reconciliation with the Church› Remission of punishment for sins› Spiritual consolation› Increase in spiritual strength for Christian

battle


Hell is the punishment for those who commit mortal sins that are not confessed.

Hell is the permanent separation from God, reserved for those who freely reject God.

Those who die in venial sin must be cleansed in Purgatory, a state of final purification in preparation to enter Heaven following death.


We can receive remission of the consequences of sin in this life by way of physical and spiritual works.

Physical, or corporal works are things like feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, visiting the sick.

Spiritual works include forgiving others, comfort those who suffer, and praying for others.


Indulgences also can be a way to gain remission of sings by taking part in Holy Hours or certain devotional prayers.

We can better deal with temptation after receiving Penance since God gives us graces to fight the sins we commit.

There is a difference failing and not trying at all to stop sinning.

Through God’s grace, one can overcome a sin, even though it may take time and a few confessions.

Part 2: The Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick

The Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick is when a gravely ill, aging, or dying person is anointed by a priest and prayer over to give spiritual healing, strength, and even physical recovery.

We encounter Christ as the Good Shepherd in this Sacrament, as He binds up the wounds of His lambs and carry them upon His shoulders.


An illness, especially when serious, can be seen as a turning point in life.

God may send physical or spiritual healing to those who are ill since His Son conquered sin and death.

Jesus Christ is the healer of body and soul, who healed physical ailments by forgiving sins and does the same for us as He sees befits the mission He has for our life.


Faith and healing go hand in hand; Christ only asked those to have faith in God and from that faith, they would be healed of their ailments.

Christ took upon the suffering of all people when He hung upon the Cross, which is why He is known as the Suffering Servant.

Christ did not heal all people He encountered, but He healed us all by making original sin and death on temporary things that can be overcome by faith in Him.


Christ asks us all to bear our crosses, whether we are seriously ill or not.

To those who are not ill, we can help bear the cross of those who are ill by uniting ourselves with them in prayer and Christ’s saving love.

We may not have our prayers answered to recover from an illness, yet in patience we must understand that God gives us the grace to bear the crosses He gives us, whatever they may be.


The Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick involves the use of the Oil of the Sick, which is blessed olive oil to anoint the person’s forehead and hands.

Oil is a sign of healing, strength, and the presence of the Holy Spirit.

Wine and oil were used in Jesus’ time to disinfect and soothe wounds, much like in the story of the Good Samaritan.


In Jesus’ time, sickness was attributed with being possessed by a demon, and after Jesus and His Apostles drove demons out, the anointed the person with oil.

Over time, the Anointing of the Sick was only for those who were close to death, hence the other name the Sacrament of Extreme Unction (Last Anointing).


The Second Vatican Council restored the Sacrament to giving strength to all those who are seriously ill and aging, even if imminent death is not in sight.

Anointing of the Sick is now celebrated in a Mass for a communal anointing of those in need of the sacrament, though it is also celebrated individually many times.


Many religious orders for men and women were found throughout the history of the Church to care for the sick and dying.

The Church’s greatest gift to the sick is the Anointing of the Sick.

The Sacrament can be celebrated almost anywhere, preceded by the Sacrament of Penance and followed after by the Sacrament of the Eucharist.


There are three integral parts of the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick:› The prayer of faith› The laying on of hands› The anointing with the Oil of the Sick

The Prayer of Faith is a prayer asking for God’s help for the sick.

The Laying on of Hands is a sign of blessing and of the descend of the Holy Spirit.


Jesus laid His hands on those who were sick to cure and comfort them and is continued by way of the priest.

Jesus laid His hands of lepers, who were seen as unclean and far from God, to show the saving power of God to all people.

The Anointing with Oil gives the person strength from the Holy Spirit.

The essential element of the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick is the anointing with oil on the forehead and hands of a sick person.


If the Sacrament is performed during a Mass, the following is the arrangement:

› Liturgy of the Word› Litany for the Sacrament for the Anointing

of the Sick› Homily› Liturgy of the Anointing› Liturgy of the Eucharist


The Rite of the Anointing of the Sick outside of Mass is very similar when inside of Mass:› An introductory blessing by the priest› Sprinkling with holy water and instructions

about the Sacrament› Penitential Act and Liturgy of the Word› Liturgy of the Anointing› Reception of Communion and Closing Rite


If someone is near death, they may also receive the Sacrament of the Eucharist as viaticum, or food for the journey home to God.

The Eucharist recalls Christ’s death and Resurrection and foretells our own death and resurrection when received as viaticum.

The Sacraments of Penance, Anointing of the Sick, and Eucharist as viaticum prepare us for the end of our Earthly lives.


The effects of the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick are:› Union of the sick to Christ’s Passion› Strength, peace, and courage to endure the

sufferings of illness or old age› Forgiveness of sins› Restoration of health if God wills it› Ecclesial grace of union with the Body of

Christ› Preparation for passing over to eternal life

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