Anointing of the Sick is bestowed upon anyone who is in a moment of distress in their life and is in need of God's grace and mercy to be restored to full health. In the past, this was referred to Extreme Unction, Last Rites, or the Final Anointing, and was typically only offered to someone in an extreme circumstance and being faced with death. Today, there is a broader understanding of the sacrament as a ritual of healing appropriate not only for physical but also for mental and spiritual sickness. It is therefore administered to anyone who is in sickness, distress, or old age. Through this sacrament, the Church comforts and supports the person who is suffering and continues the healing ministry of Christ. For those who are about to die, the Church, in addition to the Anointing of the Sick, offers the Eucharist as viaticum – food for the journey home.
