Observations Concerning Anointing of the Sick

It is a perpetual issue, where some inform the priests of the parish only at the very last minute for anointing of the sick, instead of informing earlier, if possible prior to the person being hospitalised, or as soon as the person is hospitalised. Perhaps some think that anointing of the sick means the person anointed would quite likely 'balik kampung' (pass away) shortly after anointing; "extreme unction" as what it was once called. But this is no longer the case, as anointing can be given earlier, asking God to care for the person and heal him or her. I can understand if it is an emergency and the priest is informed at such short notice, but I refer to those who know jolly well that their loved one is hospitalised or about to be hospitalised, and they take their own sweet time to inform a priest, or only inform when the loved one is almost about to 'balik kampung.'

When the priest is unable to make it in time, and the person 'balik kampung' (passes away), then some begin to blame the priest for not being there to give the anointing, and the priest is "whacked" or verbally abused, and in some situations, even to the extent of being physically threatened. Hello! Last minute inform, you think the priest can fly? Be realistic and reasonable... inform early instead of informing at your convenience.

Also, some expect a priest of a certain language group to come give anointing, even though the priest is not available at that time, and other priests who may not be able to speak that particular language, could still give the anointing. This has led to anger and ill feelings among some, but what they should realise is that anointing is anointing, regardless of which priest administers it. Instead of stubbornly and vehemently demanding that a priest of a particular language group come, they should be glad and thankful that at least there is a priest to come give the anointing.

Also, some seem to think that they are entitled to having only the priests of the parish come and give anointing. When the priests of the parish are unavailable at that time, and a priest from another parish has been asked to give the anointing, such entitled persons scream and shout and get very angry that the priests of the parish are not able to come in person to give the anointing. The fact is, at least a priest has been arranged to give the anointing. Isn't that what is more important, that the person who is sick receives anointing?

I recall one situation among many, where a particular parishioner of a particular language group, had requested that a priest who could speak that particular language, go anoint the parishioner's mother. The priest who could speak that particular language was not free at that time, and he asked me whether I could go. At that time, I too was tied up with an urgent matter, and I called a priest in a different parish for help. Fortunately, that priest was free and he went to anoint the parishioner's mother. After that, the parishioner was so upset that neither the other priest nor me were free to go anoint the mother, and this parishioner had the audacity and gall to write a nasty letter complaining to the Archbishop about this matter. I was aghast at such attitude, wondering what has become of courtesy, common sense and gratitude.

Perhaps some of us need to look at ourselves and our attitudes towards anointing of the sick. If your loved one has received anointing of the sick from a priest, then you should be thankful and grateful to God. Why become so petty or have a sense of entitlement that a priest of a certain language group must come, or even more baffling, only the priests of the parish must come? Does it mean that only the priests of the parish is halal (permissible or lawful), and other priests are haram (forbidden, illegal or unlawful)? Shouldn't we learn to appreciate that at least a priest has come to anoint your loved one? Which is more important... the anointing received by a priest, or fulfilling one's demands and expectations of having a particular priest come to give the anointing?

Procrastinate At Your Peril

Father... please... hurry... come quickly... my mom/dad/whoever is in critical condition... doctors are saying she/he may not make it... she/he needs anointing... please help...

Such a scenario happens every once in a while and when asked when did the person begin having such a serious condition and/or is bedridden, or was warded in a hospital, the answer is sometimes: "Oh... about 2 weeks ago," or "warded last week," or "quite some time back."

Then when asked, "why did you not ask for the priest to come earlier, so that the person could have his/her confession heard, and then receive the sacrament of anointing and where possible, the Eucharist, some become emotional and blame the priest for being insensitive, or for not being caring or concerned. Some even think that the priest is to be called only when the last rites are to be performed, and calling the priest early would seem like taboo, or "pantang larang" (Malay word for "taboo"), or as if it were a death sentence for the person involved, or something undesirable unless absolutely necessary.

But the reality is this: when something important occurs, would one wait till the last minute then only do something about it? For example, if one has a toothache, one would not wait till the the pain becomes worse or even excruciating, then only go to see a dentist. Likewise, when one discovers that one has got a disease which has not yet reach a critical level, one would not hesitate to seek early treatment to improve one's chances of survival. When we have an exam coming up, we would not wait till the last minute to study and prepare for it. Also, when one discovers that one had left the fire on at the stove or the tap on at home, after coming out of the house and driven a short distance away, one would quickly drive back to the house to switch off the fire or the tap to prevent disaster from happening, or ending up with a hefty water bill.

If we can take precautions for such situations and many more, then surely we ought to take precautions and inform the priest early, so that the priest could provide the necessary pastoral care to the person while there is time and opportunity to do so. When we procrastinate and delay in seeking the priest, are we possibly jeopardising the person's spiritual well-being and putting the Lord to the test? Thus, let us not wait till the last minute, since by then, it may be too late.

Requesting Sacrament of Anointing in Hospital: Some Tips

When you request for a priest to come and administer the Sacrament of Anointing to a sick person in hospital, there are a few things to consider:

1. When you call for a priest, do let him know what sort of sickness the sick person is suffering from. This is so that the priest can determine whether the Sacrament of Anointing is necessary or needed, and also to determine whether other Sacraments such as the Sacrament of Reconciliation and Holy Communion may be administered.

2. It is usually best that you contact the parish you go to or are involved in to ask for a priest to come administer the Sacrament of Anointing. This is so that the parish priest(s) could either administer the Sacrament of Anointing themselves, or where necessary they may seek help from other priests nearby to administer the Sacrament.

3. In most cases, the priest would go and administer the Sacrament of Anointing to the sick person. However, in some situations, especially if the sick person is new to the parish and few know about the sick person, further information such as a recent baptism certificate may be requested. This is to ensure that the Sacrament of Anointing could be validly administered to the sick person.

4. There should be a family member, next of kin, or someone who is close to the sick person at the hospital. This is to ensure that there are no complications in getting to anoint the sick person, as some overzealous hospital security guards or certain strict hospital personnel have made it difficult for a priest to see the sick person, especially when it is outside visiting hours, or there is an emergency and the sick person urgently needs anointing

5. In some hospitals, it is extremely tough to get a place to park. It may be advisable for a family member, next of kin, or someone who is close to the sick person to drive the priest to the hospital and arrange for another person to meet the priest and see to it that the sick person is accessible for anointing.

6. Please ensure that the phone number of the contact person of the family member, next of kin, or someone who is close to the sick person is in working order. There have been situations where the family member, next of kin, or someone who is close to the sick person could not be contacted, as the phone is supposingly switched off or not within the service range.

7. Where possible, and if there is no family member, next of kin, or someone who is close to the sick person at the hospital, the priest should be advised when and what time the family member, next of kin, or someone who is close to the sick person would be present.

8. In some situations, the sick person may have been discharged, moved to another bed, to a different hospital ward, or even to another hospital. If that is the case, the priest should be informed so that he would not end up going to the hospital only to find that the sick person is missing.

9. If the sick person is suffering from a contagious disease, then the family member, next of kin, or someone who is close to the sick person should inform the priest and see that the necessary protective clothing be made available for those present and near the sick person. In some cases, the priest may only be able to give a blessing outside the containment area, especially if the disease is too dangerous for anyone to be exposed to, even with protective clothing.

10. While the priest is performing the anointing, it is suggested that the family member, next of kin, or someone who is close to the sick person check their feelings and not over-react. Staying positive and cheerful could help brighten the atmosphere and alleviate some of the suffering being experienced by the sick person.

May the good Lord give comfort and healing to all our faithful who are sick and seek anointing, so that they would experience His peace and healing.