Saturday, October 14, 2006
LIFE IN THE PEWS IN CLEVELAND - ST. BERNARD'S
Apart from the many EM's there is a lot to like at St. Bernards. Neither my husband nor I were up to more novelties this weekend, so we opted out of trying another parish.
Our celebrant at the vigil Mass was the African priest who is studying chemistry at Akron University, and who says the Mass strictly by the rubrics, apart from the fact that he leaves the sanctuary to give the homily in the aisle presumably to be better heard. Acoustics at St. B's are iffy at best. Between that and his accent, I don't actually know what the homily was about. However, when he was saying the familiar words of Mass, I could understand him. It's always a relief to be properly disposed to receive and to walk out of Mass without being either angry or in a sarcastic mood. Maybe we should attend St. Bernards more often.
Why do they use 10 Extroardinary Ministers for a congregation of less than 150 people at Mass? Oh well...
One thing did happen that I'm still trying to understand. After Mass there was an anointing of the sick, the sacrament of Extreme Unction.
In the days before Vatican II this sacrament was most often administered in the home of a person who was dying. Back in those days, it was common to die at home. This was a sacrament one expected to receive only once.
With Vatican II it became the sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick, and was no longer reserved only for those in danger of death, but was extended to those who were seriously ill. It was moved from the deathbed to Sunday Mass at some time after the Council.
In looking at the Trent Catechism, I find the words of St. James the Apostle establishing this sacrament:
Is any man, he says, sick amongst you? Let him bring in the priests of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord: and the prayer of faith shall save the sick man; and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he be in sins, they shall be forgiven him.(p. 308)
In those words there is no reference to being near death. Sickness is the criteria that admits to the sacrament. But reading further in the Trent Catechism I find:
In the first place, it is not to be administered to persons in sound health, according to these words of St. James: "Is anyone sick amongst you?" This is also proved by the fact that Extreme Unction was instituted as a remedy not only for the diseases of the soul, but also for those of the body. Now only the sick need a remedy, and therefore this Sacrament is to be administered to those only whose malady is such as to excite apprehensions of approaching death.(p. 311)
I also find further reference to this essential ingredient of the fear of imminent death:
Extreme Unction, then, can be administered to no one who is not dangerously sick; not even to those who are in danger of death, as when they undertake a perilous voyage, or enter into battle with the sure prospect of death, or have been condemned to death and are on the way to execution.(p. 312)
The CCC makes the change in the name of the sacrament clear. Under "Extreme Unction" in the index are the words: "see Anointing of the Sick."
Under Anointing of the Sick I find:
(CCC 1517)- It is very fitting to celebrte it within the Eucharist.
- the "priests of the church" - in silence - lay hands on the sick; they pray over them in the faith of the Church - this is the epiclesis proper to this sacrament; they then anoint them with oil blessed, if possible, by the bishop. (CCC 1519)
- The first grace of this sacrament is one of strengthening, peace and courage to overcome the difficulties that go with the condition of serious illness or the frailty of old age. (CCC 1520)
- If the sacrament of anointing of the sick is given to all who suffer from serious illness and infirmity, even more rightly is it given to those at the point of departing this life. (CCC 1523)
It seems to me that death has been somewhat obscured in this sacrament. Today it is used for anyone in danger of death, but also for those who are sick in mind or body no matter the age, also for those who are about to undergo a life-threatening event, and finally for the elderly even if they are well.
In my most recent parish all who were about to enter the hospital for a serious reason were invited to come to the rectory for the Anointing of the Sick.
Yesterday after Mass it was announced that an Anointing of the Sick would take place, and that this sacrament included anointing of the hands with sacred oil for the purpose of making them healing hands. I got the impression that these hands of the laity were then to be laid on those in need of healing, which would mean that the requirement for a priest had been erased, but that may be a mistaken understanding of what Father said. Since I didn't receive the sacrament, I don't know if the proper epiclesis was said over each recipient, or not. It was not said prior to forming the lines.
My husband and I waited in the pew for a few minutes to see what would happen. Everyone in the pews got in line--young and old alike. Most of them at least looked able bodied. I turned to my husband and asked him if he wanted to go up. He responded: "It's a sacrament for the sick, isn't it? I'm not sick." We left at that point. A couple of other people also left, but most were in the line going up for the latest goodie, I guess.
