Page 12 - The Sacraments

their powerful intercessions. Also, the miracles of Lourdes and other Marian sites add to the long his- tory of miraculous healings in the Church.
Invite a guest to class
In addition to Scripture, allow students to listen to a live witness. Most students have never experienced or seen this rite performed. Inviting a recipient to share a description of what happened during the sacrament is helpful and instructive. This witness has wonder- ful benefits: The visit brings
a message of hope and com- fort, and students become familiar with the rite.
We can find this witness
among our own circle of
friends and family or those
of your students. Better
still, talk to a parish priest
who might be able to rec-
ommend someone right in
your own faith community.
Or perhaps the priest may have time to visit your class and share about Anointing of the Sick from the priestly point of view.
Outward signs
Every sacrament is accompanied by outward signs. The old Baltimore Catechism says a sacrament is an “outward sign instituted by Christ to give grace.” These physical signs and actions represent a pro- found movement of grace in the recipient. In the Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick, these outward signs are the laying on of hands by a priest and the
anointing of the sick or suffering person with holy oil. Coupled with prayer, each action brings to the sick or dying the grace of healing and strength.
Our classrooms should become a showcase of these signs when we present a unit on this sacra- ment. If you have a prayer table, perhaps it can have a carafe of oil, a photo of the laying on of hands, a photo of a priest anointing someone, or an image of Jesus healing a person.
Teach your students about the sacred nature of the sacramental oil. Oil has long been symbolic of healing and strengthening. A priest’s anointing of a person in the sacrament is meant to be a healing balm. He anoints the person while offering prayers of healing.
Every year at the annual Chrism Mass, the bish- op blesses the oils that parish priests will use to cel- ebrate the sacraments. The Oil of the Infirmed, also called the Oil of the Sick, is used for the Anointing of the Sick. It is pure olive oil, and it is different from the Oil of Catechumens that is used before Baptism or the sacred chrism oil used at Baptism, Confirmation, or Holy Orders.
See if the parish will allow your students to ex- perience the fragrance and the feel of the Oil of the Sick. It might be good to take them into your lo-
cal church to see the Olea Sancta (a box for storing of the three holy oils). If pos- sible, let them smell the oil used in the anointing.
Short of visiting the church, with younger stu- dents you can offer a hands- on experience of oil in the classroom setting by using baby oil. The catechist can make the Sign of the Cross on
the student’s palm, while explaining that this is not holy oil, but simply fragrant oil that feels good, like the oil we use in the sacrament. Afterward, talk about how this oil reminds us of the beautiful anointing oil a sick person experiences in the sacrament.
The second sign in the Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick is the laying on of hands. The Old Testament makes many references to the laying of hands (for example, Jacob blessing his sons in Genesis 49:1- 27). Jesus also placed his hands on many people as a healing gesture (see Luke 4:40).
The laying on of hands by a priest or bishop confers a special blessing. We experience this in
THE SACRAMENT OF ANOINTING OF THE SICK
Many saints are vehicles of God’s healing power via their powerful intercessions.
Catechist.com
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