"Is anyone among you sick? He should summon the presbyters of the church, and they should pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord"
John 5:14
The Anointing of the Sick is a sacrament of faith, hope and healing. It is the sacrament that is intended to strengthen those who are being tried by illness. (CCC 1511)
By the grace of this sacrament the sick person receives the strength and the gift of uniting himself more closely to Christ's Passion. Suffering becomes a participation in the saving work of Jesus. (CCC 1521)
The grace of the sacrament is a gift of the Holy Spirit. It promises a supportitive community and offers the opprtujity for God to say very personally and intimately to the person, I love you and am with you to give the grace and strength and courage needed in the time of serious illness or old age.
The Anointing of the Sick can also help us as Christians prepare for our final journey. The sacrament gives us the grace to pass from this life into a new life that is greater than we could ever hope for or imagine. (CCC 1523)
Each time a Christian falls seriously ill, they may receive the Anointing of the Sick, and also when, after they have received it, the illness worsens.(CCC 1529)