The sacraments of healing are sacraments that are meant to bring healing and forgiveness to those who are in pain. These sacraments are given hand in hand with the sacrament of anointing and sacrament of reconciliation. RECONCILIATION The Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation (commonly called Confession, Reconciliation or Penance) is one of seven sacraments of the Catholic Church and sacred mysteries of Eastern Christianity, in which the faithful obtain divine mercy for the sins committed against God and neighbor and are reconciled with the community of the Church. By this sacrament Christians are freed from sins committed after Baptism.
Since the Reformation there has been long-running disagreement between the Catholic Church and Protestantism over this sacrament, including the church’s authority to absolve sins. The sacrament of penance is considered the normal way to be absolved from mortal sins which, it is believed, would otherwise condemn a person to Hell. ?How can this be done? The Sacrament of Reconciliation needs a penitent (the person confessing their sins) and a priest (God’s representative who is giving the absolution). The priest should be wearing a stole, but this is not strictly necessary for the validity of the sacrament.
What is a STOLE? The stole is a liturgical vestment of various Christian denominations. It consists of a band of colored cloth, formerly usually of silk, about seven and a half to nine feet long and three to four inches wide, whose ends may be straight or may broaden out. The center of the stole is worn around the back of the neck and the two ends hang down parallel to each other in front, either attached to each other or hanging loose. The stole is almost always decorated in some way, usually with a cross or some other significant religious design.
ANOINTING OF THE SICK.
Anointing of the sick, known also by other names, is distinguished from other forms of religious anointing or “unction” (an older term with the same meaning) in that it is intended, as its name indicates, for the benefit of a sick person. Anointing of the sick was a customary practice in many civilizations, including among the ancient Greeks and early Jewish communities. The use of oil for healing purposes is referred to in the writings of Hippocrates. Other religious anointing occurs in relation to other sacraments, in particular baptism, confirmation and ordination, and also in the coronation of a monarch.
?How it is performed? Normally by the clergy and deacons. Oil, usually Olive oil, is poured or rubbed on the head of the afflicted, all this preceded by personal confessions with prayer in and after the ceremony. Sacrament of the sick is anointing with physical health, continues Christ’s healing ministry through the power of prayer and faith. The anointing of the sick conveys several graces and imparts gifts of strengthening in the Holy Spirit against anxiety, discouragement, and temptation, and conveys peace and fortitude. ?What is a Clergy?
The term clergy is used to refer to all men who have taken holy orders in the Christian Church, as opposed to members of the Church who were not ordained and therefore called the laity. Clergy can also refer to all members of religious orders, who are usually exempt from secular law (although the Constitutions of Clarendon restricted such exemptions in England). ?What is a Deacon? Deacon is a ministry in the Christian Church that is generally associated with service of some kind, but which varies among theological and denominational traditions.
In many traditions the “diaconate”, the term for a deacon’s office, is a clerical office; in others it is for laity. The word “deacon” is derived from the Greek word diakonos (???????? ), which is a standard ancient Greek word meaning “servant”, “waiting-man”, “minister” or “messenger”.
One commonly promulgated speculation as to its etymology is that it literally means ‘through the dust’, referring to the dust raised by the busy servant or messenger. ?What thing are we going to use when performing this sacrament? OIL (usually OlL).