Sick, Visitation of

Sick, Visitation Of The sick being in special need of pastoral care, and the visitation of them being enjoined by divine. authority (Mt 25:36; Jas 1:27; Jas 5:14-15), it is made by Christian churches a special duty of the clergy. The Church of England has a special order for it in her Book of Common Prayer. The usual office contains:

1. Supplications to avert evil, in the Salutation and short Litany.

2. Prayer to procure good things, in the Lord's Prayer and the two collects.

3. Exhortations, prescribed in the large form of Exhortation; and directions in the rubric to advise .the sick man to forgive freely, etc.

4. Consolations, in the Absolution, the Prayer, etc. There are also added Extraordinary Prayers and the Manner of Administering Communion.