Pope Francis‘s prayer intention July is for the pastoral care of the sick. The Pope Video that accompanies his words is precisely dedicated to the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick.

In the video message published through the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network, Pope Francis asks that we pray that “the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick grant the Lord’s strength to those who receive it and to their loved ones, and that it may become for everyone an ever more visible sign of compassion and hope.”

The Church’s sacraments are gifts. They are the ways Jesus uses to bless, enliven, accompany, console us. The Church believes and confesses that the priest comes to our aid by administering the Anointing of the Sick, a sacrament that offers consolation to those who are ill, and to their loved ones.

This sacrament guarantees that Jesus can be close to the pain of those who are either ill or elderly, the relief of their sufferings, and the forgiveness of their sins. It is not, however, synonymous with receiving a miracle of bodily healing, or that death is imminent.