From Living Faith Daily Catholic Devotions (Jan/Feb/Mar 2026)

St. Agatha

1 Kings 2:1-4, 10-12 + 1 Chronicles 29:10-12 + Mark 6:7-13

On Call

…they anointed with oil many who were sick… Mark 6:13

The phone rang. It was 10.45 on a Sunday night. “I need help,” the caller said. “My father’s dying. He wants to be anointed. I tried calling other parishes, and there’s no answer. One had a recording to call back during office hours. My father won’t last the night.” I wrote down all the caller’s information and assured him Father would be there within a half hour.

Let’s face it, there are fewer priests. We tend to assume if a loved one needs to be anointed, a priest will answer our call, no matter what time it is. But that’s not always the case. Our parish staff operates a 24-hour emergency phone line. In the off-hours, callers speak directly with a staff member. Father quickly receives the message and responds right away.  Just knowing the Sacrament of Anointing is available for the asking truly calms our callers’ fears and helps bring peace at the most difficult times.

The Lord knows all about being on call. May we always follow suite.

□ Gail Goleas