Episode 86: Year B – 15th Sunday of Ordinary Time
In this episode of the Sunday Catholic Word, we focuse on three details in the readings for this upcoming 15th Sunday of Ordinary Time, Year B, one of which comes from the second reading, taken from Ephesians 1: 3-14. The relevant apologetical topic is the gratuity of the initial grace of salvation. The other two details are found in the Gospel reading, which is taken from Mark 6:7-13. The first detail has to do with the topic of Jesus’ authority over unclean spirits, which he gives to the apostles. The second detail is the report that the twelve went out anointing the sick with oil and healing them. This, of course, relates to the topic of the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick.
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Hey everyone,
Welcome to The Sunday Catholic Word, a podcast where we reflect on the upcoming Sunday Mass readings and pick out the details that are relevant for explaining and defending our Catholic faith.
I’m Karlo Broussard, staff apologist and speaker for Catholic Answers, and the host for this podcast.
In this episode, we’re going to focus on three details in the readings for this upcoming 15th Sunday of Ordinary Time, Year B, one of which comes from the second reading, taken from Ephesians 1: 3-14. The relevant apologetical topic is the gratuity of the initial grace of salvation. The other two details are found in the Gospel reading, which is taken from Mark 6:7-13. The first detail has to do with the topic of Jesus’ authority over unclean spirits, which he gives to the apostles. The second detail is the report that the twelve went out anointing the sick with oil and healing them. This, of course, relates to the topic of the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick.
Let’s start with the second reading, again, taken from Ephesians 1:3-14. I’m not going to read the whole passage. Rather, I’ll just highlight the relevant verses. Paul writes in verses 3-8,
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavens, as he chose us in him, before the foundation of the world, to be holy and without blemish before him. In love he destined us for adoption to himself through Jesus Christ, in accord with the favor of his will, for the praise of the glory of his grace that he granted us in the beloved. In him we have redemption by his blood, the forgiveness of transgressions, in accord with the riches of his grace that he lavished upon us.
The detail that I want to highlight is Paul’s teaching that God the Father chose them from the foundation of the world to be holy and without blemish, destining them, in love, to be his adopted children.
To be made holy and adopted into the family of God is what it means to be saved. And this is something that God willed from the foundation of the world, prior to anything Paul and his readers ever did. This reveals the gratuity of the initial grace of salvation, which the Catholic Church teaches emphatically.
The Council of Trent, for example, in its Decree on Justification (Chapter 8), stated the following:
We are therefore said to be justified gratuitously, because none of those things that precede justification, whether faith or works, merit the grace of justification. “For, if by grace, it is not now by works, otherwise,” as the Apostle says, “grace is no more grace” (Rom. 11:6).
This teaching dispels the common misconception of Catholic theology that we must do good works to merit entrance into the state of justification, a misconception that is found among both Protestants and Catholics.
The Catechism reiterates this teaching of Trent in paragraph 2010. It states, “Since the initiative belongs to God in the order of grace, no one can merit the initial grace of forgiveness and justification, at the beginning of conversion.”
Good works don’t have any meritorious value regarding our justification until after we’re initiated into a state of justification.
The Catholic Church, therefore, confirms Paul’s teaching: the initial grace of salvation is a gift prepare to be given to whom the Father wills from “the foundation of the world.”
Let’s now turn to the Gospel reading, again, taken from Mark 6:7-13. Here’s Mark’s report:
Jesus summoned the Twelve and began to send them out two by two and gave them authority over unclean spirits. He instructed them to take nothing for the journey but a walking stick—no food, no sack, no money in their belts. They were, however, to wear sandals but not a second tunic. He said to them, “Wherever you enter a house, stay there until you leave. Whatever place does not welcome you or listen to you, leave there and shake the dust off your feet in testimony against them.” So they went off and preached repentance. The Twelve drove out many demons, and they anointed with oil many who were sick and cured them.
As mentioned at the outset of this episode, the first detail I want to focus on, at least briefly, is the authority that Christ gave the apostles over unclear spirits. Notice it’s Christ’s authority that they have. There’s no indication that they would be exorcising demons by the power of Yahweh. Rather, it’s by the power of Jesus.
As we’ve mentioned in previous episodes, where we had opportunity to reflect on Jesus’ role as an exorcist, Jesus’ exorcism of demons is always done in virtue of his own authority, the implication being that He’s divine since only God has authority over demons of himself.
That Mark reports Jesus giving the apostles his authority over demons signals to the reader that Jesus is divine. If you’re interested in what I have to say elsewhere about Jesus’ exorcism ministry and the implications thereof, check out episodes 63 and 64 of the Sunday Catholic Word, which are the episodes for the 5th and 6th Sundays of Ordinary Time, Year B.
The next detail, again as mentioned at the outset, is Mark’s report that the twelve anointed the sick with oil and healed them. Oil was a medical agent in the ancient world, as indicated in Isaiah 1:6 and Luke 10:34.
However, the twelve’s use of oil does seem to be more than for medicinal value.
First, it’s probable that the apostles did this at the instruction of Christ. This is supported by the context of Christ sending them out two by two and giving them instructions on what to do on their missions. It’s unlikely that Jesus is sending them out to anoint the sick with oil to be medicine men.
Second, the healing spoken of brought about through the anointing is within the context of the twelve having authority over demons, which is something supernatural. Therefore, it’s reasonable to read the healings through the anointings as being something of a supernatural nature.
Now, whether this is Christ’s commission for the apostles to administer the sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick is an open question. The Council of Trent, during Session 14 in Chapter 1 of its The Doctrine of the Sacrament of Extreme Unction, states that the sacrament, “instituted by Christ our Lord as truly and properly a sacrament,” is “alluded to” or “suggested by” this passage.
Even if this is not the formal institution of the sacrament, it at least anticipates the Church’s future administration of the sacrament. As New Testament scholar J.A. O’Flynn, in his commentary on Mark in A Catholic Commentary on Holy Scripture, suggests, these anointings foreshadowed the sacrament similar to how the baptisms that the apostles administered, according to John 4:2, foreshadowed the Sacrament of Baptism.
The Council does go on immediately afterward to state, “[This sacred unction is] recommended to the faithful and promulgated by James the Apostle.” It then quotes James 5:14-15:
Is any man sick among 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.
That James instructs his readers to call in the presbyters for the sick person reveals that this is not merely for medicinal purposes. “Presbyters” were leaders in the early church who had shepherding roles, as indicated in Acts 20:17-28. This anointing, along with the prayer of faith, is something they do for the sick person, not any joe Christian. So, this definitely is a text that supports the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick.
The Council comments,
In these words, as the Church has learned from apostolic tradition transmitted from hand to hand, he teaches the matter, form, proper ministration, and effect of this salutary sacrament. For the Church has understood that the matter is the oil blessed by the bishop, since the unction very appropriately represents the grace of the Holy Spirit, with which the soul of the sick person is visibly anointed; and that these words are the form: “By this anointing, etc.”
So, the anointing with oil in the Gospel reading provides us with some apologetical material. But I think we can take this opportunity to make a few catechetical points as well about the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick.
First, as paragraph 1511 states in the Catechism of the Catholic Church, the sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick is ordered to the strengthening of those who are “being tried by illness.” This is why the Second Vatican Council, in Sacrosanctum Concilium, taught that it shouldn’t be reserved solely for those at the moment of death. The Council stated,
“Extreme unction,” which may also and more fittingly be called “anointing of the sick,” is not a sacrament for those only who are at the point of death. Hence, as soon as any one of the faithful begins to be in danger of death from sickness or old age, the fitting time for him to receive this sacrament has certainly already arrived.
Second, it is a sacrament that can only be administered by the ministerial priesthood, whether bishop or presbyter.
Third, there are several effects that the sacrament brings about. The Catechism lists four in paragraphs 1520 to 1523.
The first is a particular gift of the Holy Spirit, which, as paragraph 1520 spells out, is a grace given to strengthen the sick person against the temptations of the devil, discouragement, and anguish. It also gives the sick person peace and courage to overcome the difficulties associated with the illness.
The second effect is union with the passion of Christ, which gives suffering a new meaning: “it becomes a participation in the saving work of Jesus.” The sacrament, therefore, can make the suffering redemptive.
The third effect is an ecclesial grace. As paragraph 1522 teaches, “[the sick person], for his part, through the grace of this sacrament, contributes to the sanctification of the Church and to the good of all men for whom the Church suffers and offers herself through Christ to God the Father.”
Finally, the sacrament prepares the sick person who is at the point of death for the final journey by completing the anointings received through the Christian life. The Catechism states in paragraph 1523,
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; so it is also called sacramentum exeuntium (the sacrament of those departing). The Anointing of the Sick completes our conformity to the death and Resurrection of Christ, just as Baptism began it. It completes the holy anointings that mark the whole Christian life: that of Baptism which sealed the new life in us, and that of Confirmation which strengthened us for the combat of this life. This last anointing fortifies the end of our earthly life like a solid rampart for the final struggles before entering the Father’s house.
Conclusion
Well, my friends, that brings us to the end of this episode of the Sunday Catholic Word. The Gospel reading for this upcoming 15th Sunday of Ordinary Time, Year B gives us an opportunity to reflect on Jesus’ divine authority over unclean spirits and the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick from both an apologetical and catechetical perspective. The second reading from Ephesians gives us an opportunity to reflect on the gratuity of the initial grace of salvation, which has apologetical significance in our conversations with Protestants.
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I hope you have a blessed 15th Sunday of Ordinary Time, Year B. Until next time, God Bless!