THE SACRAMENT OF

extreme
unction

c.





EXTREME UNCTION

Sacrament of the Dying

by Rev. John Maguire, C.S.C.

AVE MARIA PRESS

Notre Dame, Indiana



NIHIL OBSTAT—John L. Reedy, C.S.C.

Censor Deputatus

IMPRIMATUR—^ Most Rev. Leo A. Pursley, D.D.
Bishop of Fort Wayne-South Bend

March, 1961

All rights reserved. This pamphlet may not be

reproduced by any means in whole or in part

without prior permission.

Third Printing December, 1962

© 1961, Ave Maria Press

©S8C?0ifFed



The man's relatives were astounded by

my suggestion that I give him the sacra-

ment of Extreme Unction. They knew

he was dying— but death was still far
off. Just before I walked into his hospital

room they had been talking about base-

ball. The doctor had told them that he

still had two months to live.

Why anoint him now? But if I thought
it would be better, okay! I talked for a

few minutes with the sick man and pre-

pared him to receive the sacrament the

following day.

The next morning I heard his confes-

sion, brought him Holy Communion and

began the anointing. “By this holy anoint-

ing, and of His most tender mercy, may

the Lord forgive you whatever offenses

you have committed through the sense of

sight . . . through the sense of hearing . . .

smelling. . . .” And so on for sins commit-

ted by the lips, the hands and the feet.

After the anointing I left.

About half an hour later I returned to

the sick man's room, and we talked about

Extreme Unction; for he was dying. But

also about baseball, for he had two months

left to live and the World Series would

be over by then. He was still interested

in this world, but preparing for the next.

I could understand why he and his

3



family were taken somewhat aback by my
suggestion not to delay Extreme Unction.

Every Catholic with even the slightest bit

of knowledge about the Church knows

that Christ left seven separate sacraments

for those who follow Him, each for a dif-

ferent need in the life of the Church. But

among the seven, perhaps the least under-

stood is the sacrament of Extreme Unction.

Is It “The Kiss of Death”?

Is it, as many think, meant to be the

kiss of death? Given only when the Chris-

tian has reached his final hours? Every

priest with even a little experience has

met many Catholics who think so. At the

first suggestion that a sick person be

given this sacrament their faces blanch.

If he’s that bad he will certainly die.

Would it be wise to anoint him now?

Wouldn’t it discourage him and take away

all his will to live?

There is some reason for this confusion

on the part of ordinary Catholics. The

Church has officially defined compara-

tively little about this sacrament, only the

essentials. And preachers explain its pur-

pose in the Christian life in various ways.

In the Council of Trent, held in the

16th century, the Church made clear the

basic doctrinal points about the sacrament

4



of Extreme Unction. In brief, this is what

Catholics are obliged to believe about this

sacrament.

Four Doctrinal Teachings

First, Extreme Unction is definitely a

true sacrament, instituted by Christ and

handed down to us by the Apostle James

in the fifth chapter of his Epistle.

“Is one of you sick? Let him send for

the presbyters of the Church, and let them

pray over him, anointing him with oil in

the Lord’s name. Prayer offered in faith

will restore the sick man, and the Lord

will give him relief; if he is guilty of sins,

they will be pardoned . . .” (James 5:14-

15).

It is, then, more than just a practice

coming down from the Fathers and adopt-

ed by the Church.

Also, the Church has defined that as a

sacrament Extreme Unction does give

grace, remit sin and relieve the sick per-

son. And, the Council of Trent insisted,

the rites followed by the Church in this

sacrament are in substantial accord with

the words of St. James in his Epistle.

The final doctrinal point defined by the

Church refers to the actual text of St.

James’ Epistle. In it, he tells Christians

that if they are sick they should call in

the presbyters (seniores) of the Church,

5



I

who will pray over them and anoint them

with oil. These seniores, the Church de-

clares, are not elders or leaders of the

people in any civic sense, but are and must

be ordained priests or Bishops. With these

four points the doctrinal teaching of the

Church about this sacrament is complete.

From here on we must rely on tradition

and the teaching of theologians for a fur-

ther understanding of this sacrament.

Why We Are Confused

While all Catholics agree on the basic

points defined by the Church, some the-

ologians and preachers stress one aspect

of the sacrament of Extreme Unction

when they explain it, while others stress

a different aspect. For this reason lay

Catholics are often confused.

First of all, is the sacrament of Extreme

Unction meant primarily to restore bodily

health to the sick? At first glance, we

might be led to think this from the text

of the Epistle of St. James: “Prayer of-

fered in faith will restore the sick man,

and the Lord will give him relief . . . .
”

We know that Christ came among us to
rescue us from the results of original sin

and of our personal sins. Certainly, sick-

ness and death are the results of sin and

really are evil in themselves. We know
that if Adam and Eve had not sinned,

6



neither sickness nor death would have

been part of man’s lot on this earth. We
also know that Christ during his lifetime

on earth was very much concerned with

the sick. As we read the Gospels, we no-

tice that a far greater number of the mir-

acles therein described have to do with

cures of the body than with moral con-

version. And when Christ wanted to illus-

trate the meaning of charity, He did so

by telling us the story of the good Samari-

tan— the story whose hero cared for the
wounded body of a stranger until he had

recovered from the beating the robbers

had given him.

We also know that in the early days of
the Church miracles of bodily health were

not at all unusual. In chapter three of the

Acts of the Apostles we read the story of

how Peter and John cured the lame beggar

at the gate of the Temple. In chapter five

we read that the Jews used to put their sick

into the streets, so that when Peter passed,

his shadow at least might fall on some of

them. “And they were all cured.” In chap-

ter eight of the Acts of the Apostles, we

read the story of Philip’s evangelization of

Samaria. “And the crowds with one accord

gave heed to what was said by Philip,

listening to him and seeing the miracles

that he worked. For unclean spirits, crying

with a loud voice, went out of many pos-

7



sessed persons, and many paralytics and

cripples were cured . So there was great joy

in that city.”

The Primary Intention

But does all this mean that we should

understand Extreme Unction as being pri-

marily intended for the health of the

body? I do not think so.

“Prayer offered in faith will restore the

sick man, and the Lord will give him re-

lief.” In this epistle of St. James, the word

“restore,” as I have translated it, or “save”

as it can also be translated, is used four

other times. In these other four times, St.

James always uses it clearly in the sense

of spiritual salvation rather than bodily

health. Very probably, he also intends this

word to have the same meaning here.

There is within man a natural yearning

for immortality, not only of the soul but

also of the body. But the body is plagued

by the necessity of dying, a necessity

brought on by original sin. The only im-

mortality possible for the body comes to

it through Christ, through the fullness of

redemption which He promises to bring to

all of us on the Last Day when our bodies

and souls will be reunited and the body

will rise again. The sacrament of Extreme

Unction, with its anointing of the body,

8



certainly promises this. However, the full

explanation of the meaning of the sacra-

ment of Extreme Unction is more than just

a question of bodily health.

But does this mean that the sacrament

of Extreme Unction never has the effect

of curing the sick body? No, by no means!

The Council of Trent, in speaking of Ex-

treme Unction, said explicitly: “Also, the

bodily health is sometimes restored when

this is helpful for the well-being of the

person’s soul.” And though the word “re-

store” as used by St. James in this Epistle

seems to refer to spiritual salvation pri-

marily, in some other parts of Scripture it

does refer to bodily health and it is the

opinion of many scholars that it also has

this meaning in the text about Extreme

Unction, though in a secondary sense. And

finally, it is a fact of experience to which

many priests, doctors and nurses will tes-

tify that the sacrament sometimes does

cause physical betterment to the person

who receives it.

One Particular Need

Our point is that the main purpose of

the sacrament is not to give physical

health once more to the sick person. In-

deed, if this were its main purpose, Chris-

tians would never have to die. All they

9



would have to do is to keep a priest handy

so that they could be anointed each time

they seemed to be in danger of death from

sickness and they would live forever. Just

what, then, is the meaning of this sacra-

ment in the Christian life?

Some, perhaps, will quarrel with the ex-

planation that I give here. They are within

their rights. But I hope that this pamphlet

will clear up many misunderstandings

about Extreme Unction and also show why

we should really want to receive it and

have our loved ones receive it when they

are dying.

St. Thomas Aquinas remarked in his

writings on the sacraments that each one

fulfills a particular need in the superna-

tural life of the Christian. And I think that

the clearest way to understand the place of

Extreme Unction in our life is to see just

what need a dying man has that a sacra-

ment can fulfill. Of course, he needs the

sacrament of Penance if he is in the state

of mortal sin. And he needs the Eucharist,

but this is a constant need all through life

for the Christian. If we can find a need

that he has only while he is dying and at

no other time, one that a sacrament can

satisfy, I think we will understand just

why Christ instituted Extreme Unction

10



and how we can best make use of it when

our turn to die comes.

What Is Death?

Why does a man die (not when it’s ac-
cidental, such as by being shot or hit by a

train, but when it's a natural death) ? Nat-

ural death comes when the body is no

longer able to cope with its surroundings.

For nine months before birth an infant

is carried within the protecting embrace of

its mother’s womb. During this time it

grows until it finally becomes able to adapt

to external conditions. Then, after birth,

this adaptability increases for some years

until a man reaches the prime of his life.

After this, it gradually decreases. Finally,

either through disease or old age, the body

is so weakened that it loses all power to

adapt to conditions of life in the world.

When the body can no longer serve the

soul in the wonderful way intended by

God when He fused them together to form

a human being, the soul separates from

the body, which then dies.

Naturally, this disintegration taking

place in the body affects it greatly. And

that strain has its effect also on the mind

and other powers of the soul.

Man is made of body and soul; but the

11



two are very much one, and each has far-

reaching effects on the other. For example,

have you ever tried to listen to beautiful

music or enjoy a visit to an art gallery

when you had a nagging headache? You

can’t concentrate on the beauty of either

the music or the art because of your head-

ache.

In the same way it becomes very diffi-

cult, if not impossible, to work an intricate

math problem or examine your conscience

if you’re bothered even by such a little

thing as a toothache. These few examples

should show just how much the body can

influence the power of the mind to concen-

trate. And they are not much compared to

the stress on the body in its struggles prior

to death.

The Specter of Fear

The effect of this pain is to make the

dying person sluggish and listless. The

pain so preoccupies him that he can’t

really concentrate on anything else. But a

dying man should concentrate on his im-

minent meeting with his Judge and Re-

deemer.

The physical pain of the body, however,

is only one of the things that assails the

person struggling against the press of

death. He has also to fight the specter of

fear.

12



As Shakespeare wrote in Measure for

Measure:

“The weariest and most loathed

worldly life

That age, ache, penury and im-

prisonment

Can lay on nature, is a paradise

To what we fear of death. . .

No one wants to die. At least, this is true

of most of us. We’re afraid to; we don’t

know what death is, what lies beyond it.

Death is beyond any doubt “the Great Un-

known.” No matter how painful, frus-

trating, boring and tedious our life at times

becomes, we at least know it. We’re ac-

quainted with it and have reached a kind

of truce with it. We expect its blows; we
know that at times it also has its joys. We
simply don’t know anything about death

or about what happens afterward.

Faith Fights Fear

Sure, by faith we can say a lot about

life after death. We have learned and be-
lieve that there will be an immediate

judgment—and then either heaven, hell or
purgatory. And with faith we read the

wonderful description of the Beatific Vision

that St. John paints for us in the Apoca-

lypse: “Here is God’s tabernacle pitched

among men; He will dwell with them, and
they will be His own people, and He will

13



be among them, their own God. He will

wipe away every tear from their eyes, and

there will be no more death, or mourning,

or cries of distress, no more sorrow; those

old things have passed away” (Apoc. 21:

3 -4).

Such is the beautiful Christian hope of

life after death, but the point is that it is

a hope. Faith tells us much about life after

death; but what we can’t forget is that this

is only a vision of faith, not knowledge.

While faith is a wonderful thing, it’s some-

times hard. And when we come face to

face with death, it’s not easy to graciously

exchange the life that we know so well

here below for the vision of after-life pro-

vided us by our Christian belief. Try as

we will, we still have to wrestle with our

very real and natural fear of the unknown.

This fear, mostly emotional, has an ef-

fect on the mind very similar to that which

the physical strain of dying places on the

body. Surrounded by the terrors of the un-

known, the soul in a very real sense stands

frozen in fear. Fear of death paralyzes the

soul’s faculties. The dying man becomes,

in a sense, numb mentally, overcome by

torpor and listlessness.

Now when this fear assails the mind and
pain racks the body, it becomes most diffi-

cult for a man to really prepare for on-

coming death in a proper way. And for

14



the Christian, this is a tragedy, for death

should be the climax of his life.

Death Is Life’s Climax

But what do we mean by saying that

death should be the climax of the Chris-

tian life?

The baptized person very simply does

not have only his natural life, but now

lives a supernatural life also. It is the life

that Christ came on earth to give us. It is

what He meant when He said that He had

come that we “might have life and have it

more abundantly.” It is the life He re-

ferred to when He called Himself “the

Way, the Truth and the Life.” At Baptism,

we become sharers in Christ’s own life.

That is why He told the Jews, “Whatso-

ever you do to one of these, the least of

My brethren, you do to Me.” Why He
could ask one of the first persecutors of the

Church, “Saul, Saul, why dost thou perse-

cute Me?” Why Paul could later say, “I
live, now not I, but Christ liveth in me.”

The supernatural life that we receive in

Baptism is the life of Christ Himself to

Whom we are joined through grace.
And since we have received this life,

everything that we do should make that

life within us grow. In fact, it is the ideal

and fullness of sanctity to reach an ever

greater identification with Christ.

15



If we can speak from a human point of

view, Christ’s finest hour was the hour of

His death. It was there on Calvary that

He fulfilled the sacrifice which He had

come on earth to perform. So if we are to

arrive at a complete imitation of Christ it

can only be in the moment of our death.

Christ on Calvary is our perfect model

of complete abandonment of self to the

love of God. Since the Crucifixion was

His Father’s will for Him, He gladly and

graciously went along with that will. With

complete trust in His Father’s love, Christ

shed every vestige of self-protection and

gave Himself entirely into His Father’s

hands. And this, too, the dying Christian

must try to do.

Pain and Fear Numb Mind

Our life here below is necessarily one

of faith and trust in God. Perhaps this

was the lesson Christ most insisted on

during His years of preaching on earth.

And if we pass a whole life of believing

in God and trusting in His love for us,

why shouldn’t we pass from life with

those same sentiments? Neither clinging

to life nor eager for death, but just willing

to accept graciously from the hands of

God whatever He chooses to send us,

whether it be pain or pleasure, life or

death?

16



Such a degree of faith is not easy, even

when we are in the best of health. But

when our body is tortured with the strug-

gles of dying and our mind is preoccu-

pied with this pain and with the fear of

looming death, it becomes even harder to

have this faith. Both the physical pain

and the psychological fear combine to

numb the mind. In this stupor, we lie on

our bed of death assailed by lethargy and

apathy. The faculties of our mind and

will are blunted and deadened by the

physical pain and the obsessive dread of

approaching death— and this at a time
when we should be most alive with faith

and hope.

But once we understand the effects of

physical pain and psychological fear on

the mind of the dying person, we can see

much more clearly the meaning of the

sacrament of Extreme Unction in God's

plans. For these are the specific needs

that the sacrament is intended to meet.

How Extreme Unction Helps

First, how does the sacrament affect the

body? As we have seen above, when death

approaches, the physical torture it brings

to the body can’t help but affect the mind

and will of the dying person. It so pre-

occupies him that he is not free to make

the acts of faith, hope and love that he

17



should be making. The body very defi-

nitely becomes a hindrance to the actions

of the soul under these conditions.

Now the effect of the sacrament of Ex-
treme Unction on the body changes all

this. It brings relief for the body so that

no longer is it a hindrance to the soul in

the great act of faith a man makes in

accepting death. Perhaps the pain re-

mains; almost always it does to some de-

gree. But there also comes a quietness, a

rest for the body. No longer does it oc-

cupy center stage in the mind. The mind

is once more free to concentrate on work-

ing hard to identify itself with the dying

Christ.

But this isn’t the full story of the effect

of the sacrament by any means. It also

works directly on the soul to dispel the

effects which the fear of death has on the

dying man’s mind and will. The Council

of Trent describes these effects in the fol-

lowing words: “The effect of this sacra-

ment is the grace of the Holy Spirit which

wipes away any sins which still are to be

expiated as well as the remains of sin.

“
Further

,
it lifts up and strengthens the

soul of the sick one by arousing in him a

great trust in the divine mercy. The sick

person, thus aided, more easily bears the

struggles and pains of his illness and more

easily resists the temptations of the devil .

18



Also, the bodily health is sometimes re-

stored when this is helpful for the well-

being of the person’s soul.”

A Little-Known Effect

Another effect of the sacrament of Ex-

treme Unction is not mentioned by the

Council of Trent but sometimes described

by theologians. Happiness in heaven is

meant for the whole person, not merely

for the soul. The body, too, must share

in it after the final judgment at the end

of the world when body and soul are once

more reunited for all eternity. Generally,

theologians describing the Beatific Vision

do so in terms of the soul, but immediately

add that the happiness and glorification

of the soul overflow and also affect the

body. The body, too, becomes glorified.

Now the sacrament of Extreme Unction,
applied to the body as it is, adds some-

thing to the glory of the body in heaven.

There is some special degree of glory for

the body of each one who was fortunate

enough to receive the sacrament of Ex-

treme Unction at the end of his days on

earth. This special glory is spoken of by

theologians as a certain fulgor or brilliance

over and above what the body would have

otherwise.

Once someone realizes just what ef-

19



fects this sacrament has on both the

body and soul of the dying person, it is

only natural for him to want to receive

it himself at the proper time.

Death Is Never Easy

Death is not easy, not even for the fer-

vent Christian soul. But death is some-

thing every man owes to God, the final

payment he can make in retribution for

the sins he has committed as well as for

the original sin which taints us all. If

there is anything that will make that act

of dying easier, we should want it. And

there is that “something”— the sacrament
which Christ left to His followers to make

death not easy, but at least easier than

otherwise, the sacrament of Extreme Unc-

tion.

When a person is dying, whether death

is moments away or months away, he is

very close to the dying Christ of Calvary.

He is given the opportunity of imitating

Christ to the last breath of life just as

Christ gave Himself for us to the last drop

of His blood. The approach of death,

then, puts man in a very holy state. But

he must be able to live that state in the

fullness of his faculties. Otherwise, it

might lead him to remorse, discourage-

ment and, finally, to despair. And it is the

sacrament of Extreme Unction that makes

20



it possible for the body— even when
weakened by sickness— to be a fitting
instrument for the soul for the final scene

of its earthly drama.

Also, in its effects directly on the soul

Extreme Unction makes death easier by

erasing the apprehensive fears of ap-

proaching death. It calms the soul by

exciting in it a tremendous faith and hope

in the mercy of the God Who will surely

judge us but Who just as surely loves us.

Sacrament of the Dying

It's obvious, then, why we should want

to receive this sacrament. As the end of

life draws nearer, the devil gets busier.

Frantically realizing that the time left him

to snatch a soul from the bosom of God’s

love is coming to an end, he hurls himself

at the dying man in all his fury. And

the dying man who has received the sacra-

ment of Extreme Unction is much safer

from his attacks.

No, Extreme Unction is not the kiss of

death. A countless number of Catholics
have received it and have regained their

health. Nor, on the other hand, is it a

medicine or a substitute for medicine.

Sometimes, it does help one recover his

health; but this effect is not the direct

purpose of the sacrament. Extreme Unc-

tion is the sacrament of the dying— a
21



legacy left by Christ to make it easier for

Christians to die more united to Him in

the moment of His own death.

But since its purpose is to help the

Christian soul prepare for death, it should

not be withheld until the actual death

struggle has begun. By then it is often

too late for Extreme Unction to have its

full effect. When one has sunk into un-

consciousness, it is too late to make fer-

vent acts of faith, hope and love, to offer

one’s sufferings in union with the suffer-

ing of the crucified Christ, to graciously

and trustingly accept from God’s hands

anything He wishes to send us, whether

it be life or death.

What About Sudden Death?

Up to this point we have been talking

about a normal death ... a death that

is clearly foreseen and so can be prepared

for. But what about the man whom death

snatches suddenly and without a hint?

The hunter shot down accidentally? The

family wiped out in a holiday auto colli-

sion? The swimmer seized by sudden

cramps who drowns? Or the poor man

who slips into predeath coma without

benefit of the sacrament of Extreme Unc-

tion because tenderhearted relatives were

not willing to tell him he was dying? Can

22



Extreme Unction help those who die in

this way?

Yes! And the Church insists that even

when one has been pronounced medically

dead he should still be given this sacra-

ment. For some time after apparent death

the body is yet warm with the glow of life

and no one, neither doctor nor priest, can

say at what precise instant the soul leaves

the body. For this reason a priest will

anoint the body of one who has apparently

been dead for several hours in the hope

that a flicker of life yet remains and that

the soul has not yet left the body.

Throughout this pamphlet we have been

speaking about how this sacrament helps

a man to die a Christian death. But there

is another point, perhaps even more im-

portant, that we have not yet treated. In

the Council of Trent the Church teaches

us that the grace of this sacrament “wipes

away any sins which still are to be ex-

piated as well as the remains of sin.”

Can We Bypass Purgatory?

Many a man has been struck by death
without having a chance to confess the

sins he has on his soul. But if throughout

his life he has always had the wish to die

a Christian death and has had the proper

sorrow for his sins, Extreme Unction will

win him forgiveness for the sins he didn’t

23



have the chance to confess. Furthermore, it

will do away with the temporal punish-

ment due him for these sins and even for

those sins he had confessed in his past life

(always presuming, of course, that his dis-

positions are proper, and only to the ex-

tent that they are proper). The sacra-

ment of Extreme Unction has this effect

as long as the body and soul are still

united, even though apparent death had

occurred two or three hours previously.

As long as there is even the slightest

chance that the soul will be helped by

Extreme Unction, the priest will give it,

at least conditionally. And every Catholic

should feel obligated to call a priest to

anoint a dying person, even if death has

apparently claimed the victory.

The fact that Extreme Unction “wipes

away any sins which are still to be ex-

piated as well as the remains of sin” is a

very important point to a proper appre-

ciation of this sacrament.

Most of us are reconciled to spending

some time in purgatory. In fact it’s prob-

ably more accurate to say that getting

into purgatory is the limit of our expec-

tations and our ambitions. But it’s pos-

sible to bypass purgatory on our way to

heaven. And Extreme Unction can help

us do this.

All theologians, no matter on what facet

24



of the sacrament they focus their explana-

tion of it, agree that God’s purpose in in-

stituting this sacrament was to enable the

sick person, if he dies, to enter heaven

without delay. It can take away all the

temporal punishment due us for the sins

we have committed during our lifetime.

And for the person who receives it with

perfect love of God and a complete sor-

row for his sins, it will do so. To the

extent that our love of God is imperfect

and our contrition lacking, the temporal

punishment will remain and it will be

necessary for us to be purged by the fires

of purgatory.

Who Can Give It?

Before we end this pamphlet on the

sacrament of Extreme Unction, perhaps

we should take some time to consider a

few practical points about it. First of all,

who can receive this sacrament? Or, on

the other hand, who can administer Ex-

treme Unction?

Only a priest can administer it, but any

priest can do so. Ordinarily the chaplain

of the hospital or your parish priest should

be summoned to give Extreme Unction,

but in an emergency any priest can be

called on to do it. It doesn’t matter

whether or not he’s a stranger, or of an

Oriental rite, or even an apostate. The

25



fact of his priestly ordination gives him

the power to confer this sacrament, and,

when necessary, you have the right to ask

it of him.

Baptism is the first requirement neces-

sary for one to receive this sacrament.

This is the first of Christ’s sacraments

and is an indispensable prerequisite for

the reception of any of the other sacra-

ments. Further, the recipient of Extreme

Unction must be someone who has

achieved the use of reason. Infants and

the insane who never at any time in their

lives had the use of reason cannot receive

this sacrament validly.

The purpose of Extreme Unction is to

help the dying Christian end his life de-

voutly. But it presupposes that the one

who receives it has the use of reason and

can make use of the grace of the sacra-

ment. An infant, lacking the use of reason,

cannot co-operate with this grace. Also,

neither a baptized person under the age

of reason nor one who has never had the

use of reason can have either sin or the

remains of sin on his soul. Hence, they

have no need for this sacrament.

Who Can Receive It?

Another point: Not anyone who is in

danger of death can receive this sacra-

ment, but only those who are in danger

26



of death by reason of some bodily illness.

St. James, in describing this sacrament in

his Epistle, speaks very explicitly on this

point: He doesn’t say, “Is any one of you

in danger of death,” but “Is one of you

sick?” I think that the reason for this is

clear from our explanation of this sacra-

ment. It is an understatement to say that

one about to be executed or one about to

go into battle is in danger of death. How-

ever, this danger is external and doesn’t

arise from within him. He does not under-

go the pain and agony of the disinte-

grating process brought on by a sickened

body. On the other hand, he might well

have to face up to the psychological fear

of approaching death. However, he has at

hand the resources of confession, prayer

and Holy Eucharist. These ordinary

means should allow him to overcome the

soul’s anxiety in the face of death. Thus,

he doesn’t really have the specific needs

for which Christ instituted the sacrament

of Extreme Unction.

How to Prepare for Priest

And now for one last practical point:

How to prepare your home for the priest
who is coming to anoint one of your

dying loved ones. But first of all, let me

repeat what I stated earlier. Do not wait
until the last moment to call the priest.

27



The sick person may die before he ar-

rives or perhaps may lapse into uncon-

sciousness and so be unable to benefit fully

from this sacrament. But even if the per-

son is already unconscious, or has not been

practicing his Faith for some time, or even

when death apparently already has taken

place within the previous two hours, the

priest should be called.

Under ordinary circumstances, the priest

will not only administer the sacrament of

Extreme Unction; he will also hear the

confession of the dying person and bring

him Holy Viaticum. Therefore, when the

priest is called, he should be given accu-

rate information about the ill person. In

particular, tell him whether the person is

conscious and can swallow and retain the

Host in Holy Communion. Then he will

be able to judge whether or not he should

bring Viaticum to the sick person. When

the priest arrives at the home of the sick

person, he should be met at the door by

someone carrying a lighted, blessed candle

and led to the sickroom. In the sickroom,

near the bed, there should be a table cov-

ered with a white cloth. On it there should

be a crucifix, two lighted candles, a glass

containing some water, a spoon, a few

small pieces of bread and a white cloth.

The crucifix, tablecloth and candles

are to honor Christ present in the Blessed

28



Sacrament. After giving Communion to

the sick person, the priest must wash his

fingers, just as he does after the Com-

munion at Mass. He does this by putting

a little water in the spoon, washing his

fingers in it, and then giving the water to

the sick person to drink just in case there

are any small fragments of the Host in

the water. The small pieces of bread are

necessary for the priest to clean off his

fingers after he has used the Holy Oils in

anointing the sick person.

If the sick person is conscious, the priest

will hear his confession first of all. Dur-

ing this time, everyone else should leave

the room. After the confession is over,

they should return and kneel in prayer

while the person receives the Blessed Sac-

rament and the sacrament of Extreme

Unction.

If the sick person is unconscious, there

is no question of confession and Holy

Communion, of course. However, in any

case, the priest will at least give condi-

tional absolution to the sick one and ad-

minister Extreme Unction.

Sorrow Is Christian Emotion

Death is never an easy thing to bear,

even for those who have the greatest faith.

In spite of the faith that we have in God’s

promises, and the hope we have that

29



our dying loved one will soon be united

to God, we find it hard to accept the loss

that his or her death will bring us. Also,

it is hard for us to see one we love suffer-

ing in death.

At the death of his mother, St. Monica,

St. Augustine at first refused to express

his sorrow. He felt that any expression of

sorrow would in some way be a reflection

on his confidence in God and on our

Christian hope. Nevertheless, after a short

time he found that he could not contain

his grief and wept greatly at the loss of

the mother he had loved so much. He

had recognized clearly that in spite of our

Christian faith and hope, the loss of a

loved one in death brings a great deal of

natural sorrow— sorrow which we need
not be ashamed of at all and which is

quite in keeping with our religion.

At a time like this, there is not very

much that we can do to help the one dying

except through our prayers. But it should

be for us a great consolation to know that

we have been able to assure for him the

grace of dying fortified by the sacrament

of Extreme Unction. For this is Christ’s

own gift to His followers to strengthen

them in the face of oncoming death.

In the beginning of this pamphlet I

wrote about giving a man Extreme Unc-

tion while he still had two months to live,

30



and it was right to do so. He was dying

and needed to prepare for death. It would

have been a cruel pity to withhold from

him the fact that he was dying.

He was still interested in this world and

wanted to talk about baseball, but he also

wanted to prepare for his entrance into

the next world. I gave him the sacrament

that would most help him do this. I only

hope that when it comes my turn to die,
someone will do the same for me. And if

death claims me quickly, that there will

be a priest on hand to anoint my yet-warm
body.

PRAYER FOR A HAPPY

DEATH

GRANT, WE BESEECH THEE,
O LORD, THAT IN THE
HOUR OF OUR DEATH WE
MAY BE REFRESHED BY
THY HOLY SACRAMENTS
AND DELIVERED FROM ALL
GUILT, AND SO DESERVE
TO BE RECEIVED WITH JOY
INTO THE ARMS OF THY
MERCY. THROUGH CHRIST
OUR LORD. AMEN.

(Raccolta No. 649)
An indulgence of 3 years.

A plenary indulgence on the usual conditions, if
the daily recitation of this prayer is continued
for one month

31



There are eight pamphlets in this

series on the sacraments. Each

pamphlet has 32 pages plus a two-

color cover. Priced at 15 cents each.

THE SACRAMENTS
by Rev. Louis J. Putz, C.S.C.

The Sacrament of

BAPTISM

by Rev. Bernard I. Mullahy, C.S.C.

The Sacrament of

HOLY EUCHARIST
as a sacrament by Rev. Thomas Barrosse, C.S.C.

as a sacrifice by Rev. John Maguire, C.S.C.

The Sacrament of

PENANCE
by Rev. John L. Reedy, C.S.C.

The Sacrament of

CONFIRMATION
by Rev. Ralph Fisher, C.S.C.

The Sacrament of

MATRIMONY
by Rev. Charles W. Harris, C.S.C.

The Sacrament of

HOLY ORDERS
by Rev. Joseph Hoffman, C.S.C.

The Sacrament of

EXTREME UNCTION
by Rev. John Maguire, C.S.C.

These eight pamphlets are valued at

$1.20 if purchased individually.

Place your order now for the complete

set
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