What are Catholic Last Rites, and How are They Administered?

What are Catholic Last Rites, and How are They Administered?

The term "Last Rites" refers to the Sacrament which Catholics receive at the end of their lives. Specifically, Last Rites include Confession, Holy Communion, and the Anointing of the Sick, as well as the prayers accompanying each of those. 

Linguistically, "Last Rites" were more commonly referred to in past centuries than they are today. While the term is sometimes used to refer to only one of the Seven Sacraments (the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick), that limited application of the term is technically incorrect. In truth, the Anointing of the Sick is only part of the Last Rites, rather than the entirety of them. 

These final prayers and Sacraments were collectively known as Last Rites because they were usually administered when the person who was receiving these Sacraments was in grave danger of passing away. The Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick was also previously known as "Extreme Unction." It is administered both to the dying and to those who are gravely ill, or about to undergo a serious or highly risky operation. The Anointing of the Sick is given to the gravely ill patient for the recovery of their health, as well as for spiritual strength. 

The Catholic Church also developed the ritual of Last Rites to prepare the soul of the dying person for death and the Judgment to come. Such preparations are believed to help the soul in the next world. Thus, confession of one's sins is another essential part of the Last Rites. Having confessed his or her sins, the dying person is absolved by the priest and receives the sacramental grace of Confession.

The exact ritual of Last Rites may vary from situation to situation. For instance, how close to death the confessor is, whether they are capable of speaking, and whether they are a Catholic in good standing with the Church, can all weigh into what rites an individual may be entitled to receive. 

The priest will begin the Last Rites with the Sign of the Cross. Then, if the person is Catholic, conscious, and able to speak, he will administer the Sacrament of Confession. Otherwise, he will lead the person in an Act of Contrition (something non-Catholics can take part in, as well as those who cannot speak). The priest will then lead the dying person in the Apostles' Creed, or in the renewal of his or her baptismal promises, depending again on whether or not the person is conscious. Non-Catholics can take part in this aspect of the Last Rites as well. 

At this point, the priest anoints the dying person, using the form of the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick for Catholics. For non-Catholics, the priest will do a simple anointing with holy oil or chrism.

After reciting the Our Father, the priest will then offer Holy Communion to the dying Catholic, if he or she is conscious. This final Communion is referred to as "viaticum" or "provision for the journey" into the next life. The ritual of Last Rites concludes with a final blessing and prayers.​

Originally posted on our Random Religion and Spirituality blog at:

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The Nahua Cross of Life: Mexican Hieroglyph of the Nagual or Personal Guardian Spirit

The Nahua Cross of Life: Mexican Hieroglyph of the Nagual or Personal Guardian Spirit

Many Christian symbols and archetypes have been found around the world in pre-Christian contexts, resulting in fascinating syncretic connections and ideological overlaps. According to Prof. Daniel G. Brinton, A.M., M.D., LL.D., D.Sc. in his book Nagualism: A Study in Native American Folk-lore and History (1894), "The sign of the cross, either the form with equal arms known as the cross of St. Andrew, which is the oldest Christian form, or the Latin cross, with its arms of unequal length, came to be the ideogram for “life” in the Mexican hieroglyphic writing; and as such, with more or less variants, was employed to signify the tonalli or nagual, the sign of nativity, the natal day, the personal spirit. The ancient document called the Mappe Quinatzin offers examples, and its meaning is explained by various early writers. The peculiar character of the Mexican ritual calendar, by which nativities were calculated, favored a plan of representing them in the shape of a cross; as we see in the singular Codex Cruciformis of the Boturini-Goupil collection."

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Medieval Catholic Christian Magical Incantations: Historiolae or Narrative Charms

Medieval Catholic Christian Magical Incantations: Historiolae or Narrative Charms

During the Middle Ages, magical incantations were a popular means to ameliorate suffering and reduce fear. One such form of incantation was the narrative charm, based on a short mythical or legendary story. The mythical story (or narrative) provided the paradigm and context for the desired magical result. A narrative charm could be recited orally for the benefit of the recipient, or it could be used in a textual amulet. Modern scholars also refer to narrative charms as historiolae.

The historiolae contained brief anecdotes about sacred, legendary, or mythic personages who had suffered in ways that foreshadowed the current sufferings of a person in the present day. These anecdotes therefore could metaphorically erase the barriers of time and space; past and present were no longer separate entities. Like the mythical personage featured in the charm, people who turned to such narratives held firm the hope of reaping similar benefits of supernatural protection and divine healing. When properly invoked, the sacred types and precedents featured in these stories were believed to facilitate a magical replication of past miracles and supernatural cures. The recipient would be protected and healed just like the original subject of the sacred narrative.

Narrative charms were deeply rooted in oral culture, so they often included some form of dialogue. These dialogues could also precede the use of other conjurations spoken by a parish priest or healer to address demons or other malevolent forces for the benefit of the afflicted person.

Historiolae were utilized in ancient rituals for thousands of years. The earliest evidence we currently have for narrative charms in the Middle Ages dates to the 9th or 10th centuries, when Latin historiolae appear in surviving manuscripts. From the 13th to 15th centuries, narrative charms circulated widely in secular manuscripts and textual amulets. Some late medieval critics condemned these charms and amulets as worthless folly. The Malleus Maleficarum, or Hammer of Witches, published in 1486, mentions one such charm with disdain: "Some old women in their incantations use some such jingling doggerel (or silly jingles) as the following: Blessed MARY went a-walking / Over Jordan river. / St. Stephen met her, / and fell a-talking, etc." (Malleus Maleficarum, Part 2, Question 2, Chapter 6)

Like other noncanonical texts, narrative charms were not standardized, and therefore had many variations. Through oral transmission and inventive scribal copying, historiolae spread widely and were distributed in innumerable different versions. One example that saw endless permutations was a narrative-style fever charm based on an apocryphal story about St. Peter sitting outside Jerusalem’s Golden Gate or Rome's Latin Gate. In its many versions, Jesus Christ invariably begins by asking St. Peter about his affliction. Learning that St. Peter is suffering from a fever, Christ uses his healing touch to cure him. St. Peter then asks Christ to allow other people to benefit from divine Grace by transforming the narrative charm into a textual amulet that can be worn on their bodies. Jesus responds affirmatively.  

Like the biblical Word of God, this fever charm was ideal for use in textual amulets because it contained what were believed to be Christ’s own words. It thus became very popular; similar versions of the fever charm, in Latin as well as vernacular languages, can be found in a wide array of physical contexts. Latin and vernacular versions of narrative charms survive in innumerable English, German, Italian, and other secular manuscripts, especially from the 14th and 15th centuries.

Originally posted on our Random Religion and Spirituality blog at:

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Hosea 6:1-2 as a Prophecy of Christ's Passion and Resurrection

Hosea 6:1-2 as a Prophecy of Christ's Passion and Resurrection

Hebrew prophecy often contained many layers of meaning, some of which were later revealed in Christian exegesis. Hosea 6:1-2 appears to be a beautiful foretelling of Jesus Christ's Passion and Resurrection on the third day:

1. Come, and let us return unto the Lord: for he hath torn, and he will heal us; he hath smitten, and he will bind us up.

2. After two days will he revive us: in the third day he will raise us up, and we shall live in his sight.

- Hosea 6:1-2

The Christian reader will be deeply rewarded by looking for Christ in all of Scripture!

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The Legend of How the Holy Grail Came to Britain

The Legend of How the Holy Grail Came to Britain

The Holy Grail (or Cup of Christ) was the drinking vessel which Joseph of Arimathea used for catching the blood and water which poured forth from Jesus' side after the Crucified Messiah was pierced by the Spear of Longinus. It was the same sacred chalice which Jesus used during the first Holy Communion ritual at the Last Supper. 

According to Robert de Boron’s version of the Holy Grail legend, Joseph of Arimathea was incarcerated within a Jerusalem prison by the Jewish authorities after the body of Jesus suspiciously disappeared from its tomb. One day, while in his prison cell, Joseph miraculously found the Holy Chalice placed at his feet by God. Suddenly, a voice emanating from the vessel proceeded to explain the "secrets of the Grail", including the Mysteries of the Eucharist and how the rites of that Sacrament reflect the Passion of Christ. Food and drink also spontaneously manifested within the Holy Grail, and by this means Joseph was kept alive for many years.

The Holy Grail continued to nourish and sustain Joseph of Arimathea until Jerusalem was conquered by the Roman Emperor Vespasian in 70 CE, upon which he was released from prison. Fearing re-imprisonment, Joseph escaped to the desert with his family, and even in such harsh conditions they were continually sustained with food and drink from the Cup of Christ throughout their journey.

In de Boron's version of the story, Joseph passed away soon after fleeing Jerusalem, but not before placing the Holy Grail into the care of his brother-in-law, Bron. The Holy Spirit subsequently lead Bron and his family north to Glastonbury, England, where he was told to deposit the Grail. Thus, in de Boron’s version of the legend, it was Bron who carried the Cup of Christ to Glastonbury. There are, however, more popular versions of the legend which state that Joseph himself brought the Holy Chalice to the sacred British city.

According to an alternate version of the myth, when Joseph of Arimathea was still in Jerusalem, the Archangel Gabriel appeared to him and eleven other missionaries. Angel Gabriel instructed them to travel to Glastonbury, England in order to build a church dedicated to the Virgin Mary, the mother of Jesus. 

Joseph and the eleven missionaries left Palestine/Israel with the Holy Grail and eventually reached the coast of Britain after a very long journey. They sailed down an inlet leading to the future site of Glastonbury, which at that time was only a marshland covered with water. They disembarked on an island now known as Wearyall Hill, named after the weary and near-exhausted state in which the missionary group arrived. It was here that Joseph planted his staff into the ground and watched with jubilation as it sprouted leaves and flowers, signaling that he and his companions had completed their journey. The unique flowering tree which sprouted from Joseph's staff later became known as the Glastonbury Thorn.

Once Joseph and his companions settled into their new English homeland, they followed Angel Gabriel’s instructions and constructed St. Mary’s Chapel, which became one of the earliest Christian churches in Europe. Twelve dwellings were built in a circle surrounding this chapel, each facing the central church, which housed the Holy Grail and, by implication, the sacred Presence of Christ Himself. Joseph’s little Chapel was eventually torn down and a larger chapel constructed in its place, one that would later be incorporated into the structure of Glastonbury Abbey by the 8th century CE.

According to legend, before Joseph died, he buried the Holy Grail in Chalice Hill beside Glastonbury Tor.  An alternate version states that Joseph secreted the Grail within the Chalice Well, from which continually flows blood-colored water to this day, symbolizing the salvific blood of the Messiah. Many people over the centuries have received miraculous healings as a result of drinking or bathing in the waters of Chalice Well.

Another legend states that Joseph of Arimathea did not die in Britain, but left Glastonbury soon after constructing St. Mary's Chapel. From there, he sailed south with the Holy Grail to Spain. According to the story, he landed at Barcelona and then proceeded overland to either Montserrat in Catalonia near the Pyrenees, or to Montsegur in the former region of Languedoc, France. Both of these mountain sanctuaries later became associated with the Holy Grail and its Mysteries, and have often been equated with Munsalvaesche or the Mount of Salvation, the castle of the Grail King Anfortas (or the Fisher King) in Wolfram von Eschenbach’s medieval romance, Parzival.

Originally posted on our Random Religion and Spirituality blog at:

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