QBefore my wife’s surgery, we asked that she receive the sacrament of the sick. She was anointed before surgery and again while in critical recovery. Both times the priests referred to it as a “special blessing.” The Catechism of the Catholic Church distinguishes between blessing and sacrament. Did she not receive the full effect of the sacrament? P.L., Rockford

A If your wife was anointed with oil she definitely received the Sacrament of the Sick. There is no special blessing in the anointing.

The words recited during the anointing of the sick are the same for all anointings: “Through this holy anointing may the Lord in his love and mercy help you with the grace of the Holy Spirit. May the Lord who frees you from sin save you and raise you up.” Perhaps those words are what the priest meant by “special blessing.”

We use holy oil at baptism, confirmation, holy orders and extreme unction (the sacrement of the sick). It is not involved in marriage, communion or penance.

The anointing of the sick is a gift of the Holy Spirit which puts us in union with the passion of Christ and is an ecclesial grace. From the information you provided in your question, and provided she was anointed with oil, I would say your good wife received the sacrament of the sick twice.

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