This is a ministry of comfort. Through Anointing, the sick are reminded that Christ and the Church are in communion with their suffering. The Holy Spirit shares the blessings of health, trust in God, and strength against temptation.
Anointing of the Sick is also a sacrament of healing. Anointing of the Sick was once known as "extreme unction." The idea behind this sacrament is that we are all members of the body of Christ. When one of us suffers, all of us suffer, and all of God's creation suffers with us.