Leofric Missal: the Order for Visiting and Anointing the Sick (English) (the Leofric Missal, given to Exeter by Bishop Leofric (1050–1072))

Confession and Reconciliation

Here begins the order for visiting and anointing a sick man.

First let the priest hear the confession of the sick man, and pray for him, and bless him, saying:

A prayer. Almighty God, who said, Whosoever shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven, himself bless thee and keep thee always, and give thee remission of all sins, and life eternal.

And let him exhort him to turn from evil and do good, and to be reconciled through the penance enjoined. Then, if he have deadly sins, let the bishop or priest say over him the prayers for giving penance: Hear, O Lord, our prayers. (Look for it on Ash Wednesday at the beginning of the fast.)

If a bishop be present, let him lay his hand on the head of a priest, or of any sick man, to reconcile him. Otherwise a priest reconciling a priest ought not to lay his hand on him; but on other sick men let him lay his hand on the head, saying the prayer for reconciling: Be present, O Lord, to our supplications. (Look for it on Maundy Thursday.)

The Penitential Psalms and Litany

Then are to be sung the seven penitential psalms, with the litany:

O Lord, rebuke me not (Psalm 6). Blessed is he whose unrighteousness (Psalm 32). O Lord, rebuke me not (Psalm 38). Have mercy upon me, O God (Psalm 51). Hear my prayer, O Lord (Psalm 102). Out of the deep (Psalm 130). Hear my prayer, O Lord (Psalm 143).

As the litany begins, let the priest say: Spare, O Lord, spare thy servant N., whom thou hast redeemed, O Christ, with thy blood. Be not angry with him for ever. Amen. Three times.

The litany follows, and the prayers.

Our Father.

O Lord, save thy servant.

The Lord preserve him.

The Lord comfort him when he lieth sick upon his bed.

The Lord preserve thee from all evil.

The Lord preserve thy going out and thy coming in.

He shall give his angels charge over thee.

Order his steps in thy paths.

O Lord, turn thy face from his sins, and put out all his misdeeds.

Be unto him, O Lord, a tower of strength.

Turn thee again, O Lord, at the last.

The enemy shall not be able to do him violence.

Send him help, O Lord.

O Lord, hear [my prayer].

Have mercy upon me, O God (Psalm 51).

Prayers and the Sprinkling of the House

There follows the prayer. Almighty God, who in the name of his only-begotten sent the Holy Spirit upon his disciples according to his promise, pour upon thee from heaven the sevenfold Spirit the Comforter, and fill thee with the spirit of his fear, the spirit of knowledge and godliness, the spirit of counsel and strength, the spirit of wisdom and understanding; that he may burn out all the rust of thy sins, so that thou be no more confounded by any errors of past iniquity or frailty; but that he may lead thee into all the truth of knowledge, as the same Son promised; and keep thee from the depravity of all wickedness, from the contagion of worldly life and fleshly uncleanness, from impure affection of mind, and from the attacks and assaults of all enemies visible and invisible; and bring thee to the grace and glory of his kingdom, whose power and dominion endureth for ever and ever. Amen.

Another. Almighty and most gentle God, look favourably on our prayers, and deliver the heart of thy servant N. from the temptation of evil thoughts, that he may be found a worthy dwelling-place of the Holy Spirit. Through.

Then he sprinkles holy water over him and over his house, saying this prayer: Hear us, O Lord, holy Father, almighty and eternal God, and vouchsafe to send thy holy angel from heaven, to guard, cherish, protect, visit and defend all that dwell in this habitation. Through.

The Epistle and Gospel

There follows the epistle, Is any among you afflicted (James 5).

And the gospel, At that time Jesus entered into Capernaum (Matthew 8).

The Anointing

A prayer. Almighty God, who by the mouth of thy blessed apostle James hast commanded this ministry to be done for sick men: preserve to thy servant N. the gifts of thy powers, and grant that he may feel thy healing not in body only but also in soul. Through.

Another. O Lord God, who hast spoken by thine apostle, Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with holy oil in the name of the Lord: and the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he be in sins, they shall be forgiven him: cure, we beseech thee, O our Redeemer, by the grace of the Holy Spirit, the sicknesses of this sick man; heal his wounds, forgive his sins, drive from him all pains of heart and body, and mercifully restore to him full health within and without; that, restored and healed by the help of thy mercy, he may return to the former duties of thy service. Through.

Another. Let us pray our Lord Jesus Christ, and with all supplication ask him, that he vouchsafe by his holy angel to visit (+), gladden (+) and (+) strengthen this his servant N.; who liveth and reigneth for ever and ever. Amen.

And so let each of the priests anoint the sick man with hallowed oil, making a cross on the neck, the throat, the breast and between the shoulders, and on the five bodily senses: on the eyebrows, on the nostrils inside and out, on the tip of the nose or within, and on the lips outwardly; that the stains which through the five senses of mind and body have at any time clung to him by the frailty of the flesh may be driven out by this spiritual medicine and the mercy of the Lord. The anointing follows.

A prayer. By this anointing and the Lord's blessing may thy hands and mouth, thy heart also, thy touch, sight, hearing and taste, and thy whole body and soul, be cleansed from all filth and contagion of sin and be sanctified, that thou mayest be made fit to call upon the name of the same Lord our God. The Lord restore unto thee the joy of his salvation, and stablish thee with his free Spirit; may he renew the Holy Spirit within thee and not take him from thee; but may the blessing of God the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit descend upon thee, flow down plentifully upon thee and reach the extremities of thy body; may it fill and surround thee within and without, and be with thee always, now and for ever and ever. Amen.

And so lastly let the sick man be anointed, first at his right ear, then on the forehead, then at the left ear, each of the priests saying thus: In the name of the Fa+ther, and of the S+on, and of the Holy + Spirit, receive health of mind and body.

The blessing follows. God the Father bless thee; the Son heal thee; the Holy Spirit enlighten thee; may he keep thy body, save thy soul, illumine thy heart, direct thy understanding, and bring thee to the life above. Who liveth.

At the eyes. Another. I anoint thine eyes with hallowed oil, that whatever thou hast done amiss by unlawful use may be expiated by the anointing of this oil. Through.

Then on each shoulder. I anoint these shoulders with consecrated oil, that, fortified on every side by spiritual protection, thou mayest manfully despise the darts of the devil and drive him far off by the strength of heavenly help. Through.

Another. I anoint these nostrils with holy oil, that whatever harm hath been contracted by excess of smelling may be healed by this medicine. Through.

At the lips. Another. I anoint these lips with the medicine of consecrated oil, that whatever thou hast sinned by idle or even wicked speech may, by the mercy of God's clemency, be purged by this anointing. Through.

Then on the breast and behind. I anoint thy breast with holy oil, that, protected by this anointing, thou mayest be able to stand firm against the hosts of the air. Through.

For anointing the hands. I anoint these hands with consecrated oil, that whatever they have wrought by unlawful or hurtful work may be done away by this anointing. Through.

Then on the crown of the head. I anoint thy head with hallowed oil, in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, that, like an anointed soldier made ready for the wrestling, thou mayest overcome the hosts of the air. Through.

For anointing the feet. I anoint these feet with blessed oil, that whatever they have committed by needless or hurtful walking this anointing may abolish. Through.

Prayers after the Anointing

When the sick man has been anointed, let these prayers be said, one by each of the priests.

O Lord Jesus Christ, who art our salvation and redemption, who art true health and medicine, from whom cometh all healing and remedy, who by the voice of thine apostle teachest us to touch the sick with the liquor of oil and to beg the mercy of thy goodness: look favourably from that wondrous height of heaven upon this thy servant N.; and him whom sickness bendeth toward his end, and failing strength draweth now to his setting, may the healing of thy grace restore, chastened, to health. Quench in him, O Lord, the stings of lusts, fevers and pains; cover the torments of his vices; loose the sicknesses and tortures of desires; restrain the swelling and puffing-up of pride; empty out the ulcers and corruptions of vices; heal the inward hurts of bowels and hearts, of marrow and of thoughts; close the scars of conscience and of wounds; be present in perils of body and of soul; remove old and great sufferings; set in order the works and the matter of flesh and blood; and graciously grant him pardon of his offences; and so may thy goodness continually keep him, that neither health may ever lead him to correction, nor sickness now, by thy help, to perdition. And may this holy anointing with oil be to him a speedy driving out of the present disease and the longed-for remission of all sins; through thee, O Christ Jesus, our Saviour and Redeemer and Lord, who with the Father and the Holy Spirit livest, through.

Another. The Lord be merciful to all the iniquities of this sick man N., and heal all his sicknesses, and redeem his life from the destruction of everlasting death; and strengthen and satisfy his desire with all good things; who alone, one God in Trinity, liveth.

Another. O God, who ever governest thy creation with loving affection: incline thine ear to our supplications, and look graciously upon thy servant N., who laboureth under adverse bodily health; visit him with thy salvation, and grant him the medicine of heavenly grace. Through.

Another. O God, who hast bestowed on mankind both the remedy of health and the gifts of eternal life: preserve to thy servant N. the gifts of thy powers, and grant that he may feel thy healing not in body only but also in soul. Through our Lord.

Another. O God of the heavenly powers, who by the might of thy command drivest from human bodies every sickness and every infirmity: be favourably present to this thy servant N., that, his infirmities being put to flight and his strength received again, he may forthwith, his health being restored, bless thy holy name. Through.

Another. Look, O Lord, upon thy servant N., labouring in the infirmity of his body, and cherish the soul which thou hast created; that, amended by chastisements, he may forthwith feel himself saved by thy medicine. Through.

Another. O God, who didst give to thy servant Hezekiah fifteen years of life: so may thy power raise up thy servant N. from the bed of sickness unto health. Through.

Another. O Lord, holy Father, almighty and eternal God, who by the gracious pouring in of thy power dost strengthen the frailty of our condition, that by the saving remedies of thy goodness our bodies and limbs may be quickened: look graciously upon this thy servant N., that, every necessity of bodily infirmity being shut out, the grace of his former health may be perfectly restored in him. Through.

The Communion of the Sick

Here let the sick man be communicated; and let [the priest] put the sacrifice into wine or water, saying:

May this mingling and consecration of the Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ be to us and to all who receive it for the remission of all sins and for life eternal. Amen.

And let them do this for seven days, if need be, both the communion and the rest of the office. The ministers of God's holy church ought also to sing vespers and matins for the sick each day with the greatest reverence.

A prayer. O God, who hast compassion on all that believe in thee, hear our prayers, and pour out heavenly medicine upon thy servant N. who is sick. Through.