Last week at RCIA, we covered Reconciliation and Anointing of the Sick.  Saturday, I went to confession.  Yesterday (Monday), we taught about Reconciliation in my 5th grade catechism class, and since there was a Vicariate Reconciliation service going on and we had some extra time at the end of our session, I took the kids down and those that wanted to, received the sacrament.  It was very cute, they were as nervous as I get before confession, but they were awesome!  It was a good night, and hopefully the hands-on helped them to understand the sacrament a little more.

 Last week, I was [told sternly] that I should receive the Anointing of the Sick.  I waited about a week, until I knew I’d be seeing that person again and couldn’t go up to them without at least having asked about it, if not actually having had scheduled an appointment.  So, last Friday, I sneaked over to Fr. John (I feel bad about asking for things for myself), and said, “I have something to ask you….  Before I get yelled at….”
“Yes?”
“So….  About this Anointing of the Sick….”
“Yes?”
“I was told to ask about it….”
“??”
“For me….”
“??”
“Doyouthinkit’ssomethingIshoulddo?” [Talk about having to pull teeth to get it out of me….]

He replied something that he would do it then, but had to go to the school and that we could do it next week, or if I were around Sunday — no — then, I could ask either Fr. JJ or the celebrant to anoint me after Mass on Sunday.  [Insert Jenn hyperventilating at the thought of going up to a priest she doesn’t know and asking about receiving a sacrament.  Ha!  She doesn’t like to go to churches she’s not familiar with.]

So, I reply, “So….  Sometime next week?”  Very slick, eh?  🙂

As we were separating to go to our cars, he calls across the lot, “You wouldn’t have gotten yelled at for that!”  And I said, “Oh, yes, I would have!  If I didn’t ask!”

 Fast forward to today.  I arrive at the church and see his car.  Hmm.  Maybe today.  Of course, I hate to be a bug, so I’m not wanting to go up to him and ask him if he wanted to anoint me today or a different day this week.  So after Mass, in front of the Blessed Sacrament, I’m kneeling there talking to God, “Okay God, I don’t think I can go over and ask for this again.  I asked as well as I could last week.  So, if you want me to do this, you are going to have to have him grab me or something and offer it.”  Again, not that I didn’t want this, but that I feel really funny asking for something for myself like that.  I feel undeserving or selfish or something.

So, I leave the chapel, thinking that maybe he’s waiting for me in the hall.  Nope.  Hmmm.  First instinct is to run out the door and jump into my car and go to work.  What?  None of you get scared?  Okay, maybe it’s just me.  See how fast Jenn can run, especially away from something that’s good for me.  But I don’t.  I lurk outside the door of the sacristy.  I’m getting good at lurking.  He comes out with his coat on, so we move toward the door to the parking lot and exchange ‘Hi! How are you?’s.  He asks how I am (nothing new to report). 

We get about to his car and he asks, “So, when are we going to anoint you?”
“You said, ‘sometime’.”
“How about now?”
“Okay.”  See how God works like that?  Ask –> receive.  Just like it says in the Bible.  Goodie for me, since I’m such a chicken.  🙂  He said something about “parking lot anointing” — too funny!  🙂

I’m sure I could look up how the sacrament goes and give you a much more detailed account, but experientially from what I remember (and funny, isn’t it, the more you try to remember everything, the less you actually recall), he traced the Sign of the Cross on my forehead and each palm with the oil, and then put his hand on my head, praying over me, referencing Our Lady of Good Counsel and St. Anastasia (See!  I do belong to both!).

Now’s the fun part.  (Okay, not that that wasn’t fun… but… you’ll see what I mean….)  “They” say that with an anointing, God always heals something that you need to be healed.  Not necessarily what you think it will be, however.  So, I wonder what it will be.  🙂  How exciting to wait and find out!  🙂  Kind of like Christmas all over again!  You are going to get this great gift, you just don’t know what the gift will be, but it will be just perfect for you!