June 30, 2002
Anointing the Sick
Going
on Vacation?
You
can find out what time masses are in the place you’re travelling
to online at www.masstimes.org
or on the phone at
1-800-MASS-TIMES
Please continue to support St. Brigid’s with weekly summertime
donations even if you’re away -- unfotunately our bills don’t
go away for the summer! Thanks.
Ongoing
Support
In looking over church records for the past years, it’s clear that
we suffer financially during the summer months when folks are away.
Unfortunately the bills don’t go away in the summer so please continue
to offer support to our parish, even if you’re travelling. Thanks.
Cool Way to Pray
If you’d like to try out a new interactive prayer site online,
go to the St. Brigid’s home page and click on the “Church
Interactive” link.
Today’s Bible Quote
(Particularly good for this hot weather!)
“Whoever gives only a cup of cold water
to one of these little ones to drink
because the little one is a disciple--
amen, I say to you, he will surely not lose his reward.”
--Matthew 10
Technology Ministry
If you’d like to give your time and expertise at helping our parish
connect its telephone systems or work on its website, you can let us
know by filling in our
online form
Want
to e-mail Father Ralph?
Past Columns:
July 23: Giving Thanks
to God
June 16: Father's
Day
June 9: Fall Mass
Schedule
June 2: Summer Plans
May 26: Spreading
the Faith
May 19: Passing Grace
May 12: Changing
Times
May 5: Reason for Hope
April 28: Changing
Ministry
April 21: The Poor Are Hurt
Again
April 14: Celebrating
50 Days
April 7: Where have
they put him?
March 31: Alleluia!
Alleluia!
March 24: Hardly
Hosanna
March 17: Roll The
Stone Back
March 10: Here's
Mud In Your Eye
March 3: Our Local
Drought
Feb 24: Welcoming
Bishop Murphy
Feb 17: We Will Rise
Again
Feb 10: Very
Good Now
Feb 3: The Multi
Cultural Church
Jan 27: Appealing
Words
Jan 20:Our
Wonderful School
Jan 13: Changing
Times
Jan 6: Farewell Father
Augustine
Last weekend I had the powerful experience
of anointing a member of our parish family as she faced surgery later
in the week. She was surrounded by her family and friends who prayed over
her. This is one of those moments where the peace of God rushes in to
where there could have been fear and isolation. When someone is seriously
ill, the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick not only brings healing
to the sick person, but it comforts their family as well.
I also visited a homebound couple to bring
communion and to anoint them, and they informed me that their son (whose
wedding I had done a few months ago) had undergone serious surgery --
and I felt bad that no one had told me of this sooner, for I would have
gladly prayed for him and reached out to him and his new wife at their
time of trouble.
For some time we’ve been talking about the downsizing of our priest
staff and we’ve been concerned that people will still be ministered
to in a parish this large, now with fewer priests. So we’re taking
this time to let people know that we want to continue to make anointing
of the sick available throughout our parish, though in a different way.
As some know, we were able to have several priests available after the
Friday 12:10 mass each week for the Sacrament of Anointing and the Sacrament
of Reconciliation. In the future we won’t be able to have an extra
priest for anointing. We’ve outlined a way that we can better minister
to the needs of the seriously ill even though we’re no longer able
to have an extra priest present after the 12:10 mass. (See below.)
We’ll also look at the church calendar
to see when it would be best to celebrate communual anointing masses during
the year. In this way we can join together with those who are seriously
ill to assure them of our church’s prayers and care.
As usual, the church expresses itself best
in the family. As the Rite of Anointing of the Sick says, “ The family
and friends of the sick and those that take care of them in any way have
a special share in this ministry of comfort. In particular it is their
task to strengthen the sick with words of faith and by praying with them...
If the sickness grows worse, the family and friends of the sick and those
who take care of them have the responsibility of informing their pastors...”
When that happened last weekend, it brought comfort and grace.
From time to time people’s lives are turned upside down because they, or someone they know, is stricken with a serious illness. At those times, people can feel so afraid and lonely and so separated from others, and even from God. But it is at times like these that God wants the church to reach out with a sacrament of hope and healing. The Rite of the “Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick” says, “Those who are seriously ill need the special help of God’s grace in this time of anxiety, lest they be broken in spirit...This is why, through the sacrament of anointing, Christ strengthens the faithful who are afflicted by illness.”
Years ago (when the sacrament was called “Extreme Unction”) many people waited til the last minute to be anointed for fear that the sacrament was for the dying. But we realize today that the sacrament is for the living -- those who face serious illness. Once a person is anointed, they have received the assurance of Christ’s healing presence and don’t need to receive the anointing again unless, as the rite says, “the sick person recovers after being anoinued and then falls ill [again] or if during the same illness the person’s condition becomes more serious. A sick person may be anointed before surgery whenever a serious illness is the reason for the surgery. Elderly people may be anointed if they have become notably weakened, even though no serious illness is present.”
For some time, St. Brigid’s offered to anoint seriously ill people at one of the regular masses -- Saturday mornings, for example, or currently on Friday afternoons. But it is not always possible for seriously sick people to attend a particular mass. Even if they can be present, it is not always possible for their familiy or friends to take off from work to be there with them -- and indeed this sacrament is best celebrated with loved ones.
So to make this sacrament more accessible to those who are seriously ill, we invite you to celebrate this sacrament as follows:
• If you are facing surgery for a serious illlness or if you have been diagnosed with a serious illness, talk with your family about when to celebrate this sacrament.
• The priests of the parish would be happy to gather with your family and friends at church following the mass that you and your family are attending to pray over you and anoint you. It’s best to call the parish center to let the priest know you’ll be seeking this sacrament. Be sure to introduce yourself to the priest either before or after the mass. The anointing takes only a few minutes.
• If the seriously ill person is homebound, you can call to invite the priest to come to to the house to anoint the person.
This summer we will discontinue the anointing after Friday’s noon mass. Due to the downsizing of the priest staff, it is not always possible to have a priest available at this time and we want to avoid disappointments. (Some people had made it a practice of being anointed each week. We wish to assure them that the healing power of Christ that they seek is found in the Eucharist and we urge them to continue to receive Jesus in this way.)
We hope you will share this information about our desire to make the sacrament more availble when you come across family members or neighbors who need the special strength and comfort of this sacrament in the face of serious illness.