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.​

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Psalm 104: O Lord My God, Thou Art Very Great (The Creation Psalm) - King James Version (KJV)

Psalm 104: O Lord My God, Thou Art Very Great (The Creation Psalm) - King James Version (KJV)

1. Bless the Lord, O my soul. O Lord my God, thou art very great; thou art clothed with honour and majesty.

2. Who coverest thyself with light as with a garment: who stretchest out the heavens like a curtain:

3. Who layeth the beams of his chambers in the waters: who maketh the clouds his chariot: who walketh upon the wings of the wind:

4. Who maketh his angels spirits; his ministers a flaming fire:

5. Who laid the foundations of the earth, that it should not be removed for ever.

6. Thou coveredst it with the deep as with a garment: the waters stood above the mountains.

7. At thy rebuke they fled; at the voice of thy thunder they hasted away.

8. They go up by the mountains; they go down by the valleys unto the place which thou hast founded for them.

9. Thou hast set a bound that they may not pass over; that they turn not again to cover the earth.

10. He sendeth the springs into the valleys, which run among the hills.

11. They give drink to every beast of the field: the wild asses quench their thirst.

12. By them shall the fowls of the heaven have their habitation, which sing among the branches.

13. He watereth the hills from his chambers: the earth is satisfied with the fruit of thy works.

14. He causeth the grass to grow for the cattle, and herb for the service of man: that he may bring forth food out of the earth;

15. And wine that maketh glad the heart of man, and oil to make his face to shine, and bread which strengtheneth man's heart.

16. The trees of the Lord are full of sap; the cedars of Lebanon, which he hath planted;

17. Where the birds make their nests: as for the stork, the fir trees are her house.

18. The high hills are a refuge for the wild goats; and the rocks for the conies.

19. He appointed the moon for seasons: the sun knoweth his going down.

20. Thou makest darkness, and it is night: wherein all the beasts of the forest do creep forth.

21. The young lions roar after their prey, and seek their meat from God.

22. The sun ariseth, they gather themselves together, and lay them down in their dens.

23. Man goeth forth unto his work and to his labour until the evening.

24. O Lord, how manifold are thy works! in wisdom hast thou made them all: the earth is full of thy riches.

25. So is this great and wide sea, wherein are things creeping innumerable, both small and great beasts.

26. There go the ships: there is that leviathan, whom thou hast made to play therein.

27. These wait all upon thee; that thou mayest give them their meat in due season.

28. That thou givest them they gather: thou openest thine hand, they are filled with good.

29. Thou hidest thy face, they are troubled: thou takest away their breath, they die, and return to their dust.

30. Thou sendest forth thy spirit, they are created: and thou renewest the face of the earth.

31. The glory of the Lord shall endure for ever: the Lord shall rejoice in his works.

32. He looketh on the earth, and it trembleth: he toucheth the hills, and they smoke.

33. I will sing unto the Lord as long as I live: I will sing praise to my God while I have my being.

34. My meditation of him shall be sweet: I will be glad in the Lord.

35. Let the sinners be consumed out of the earth, and let the wicked be no more. Bless thou the Lord, O my soul. Praise ye the Lord.

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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.

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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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Hosea 2:19-23 (KJV) - Betrothed to the LORD

Hosea 2:19-23  -  Betrothed to the LORD

19. And I will betroth thee unto me for ever; yea, I will betroth thee unto me in righteousness, and in judgment, and in lovingkindness, and in mercies.

20. I will even betroth thee unto me in faithfulness: and thou shalt know the Lord.

21. And it shall come to pass in that day, I will hear, saith the Lord, I will hear the heavens, and they shall hear the earth;

22. And the earth shall hear the corn, and the wine, and the oil; and they shall hear Jezreel (God Plants).

23. And I will sow her unto me in the earth; and I will have mercy upon her that had not obtained mercy; and I will say to them which were not my people, Thou art my people; and they shall say, Thou art my God.

- Hosea 2:19-23 KJV (King James Version)

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Matthew 26:14-25 (KJV Bible) - Judas Iscariot Betrays Jesus Christ for 30 Pieces of Silver

Matthew 26:14-25 (KJV Bible) - Judas Iscariot Betrays Jesus Christ for 30 Pieces of Silver

14. Then one of the twelve, called Judas Iscariot, went unto the chief priests,

15. And said unto them, What will ye give me, and I will deliver him unto you? And they covenanted with him for thirty pieces of silver.

16. And from that time he sought opportunity to betray him.

17. Now the first day of the feast of unleavened bread the disciples came to Jesus, saying unto him, Where wilt thou that we prepare for thee to eat the passover?

18. And he said, Go into the city to such a man, and say unto him, The Master saith, My time is at hand; I will keep the passover at thy house with my disciples.

19. And the disciples did as Jesus had appointed them; and they made ready the passover.

20. Now when the even was come, he sat down with the twelve.

21. And as they did eat, he said, Verily I say unto you, that one of you shall betray me.

22. And they were exceeding sorrowful, and began every one of them to say unto him, Lord, is it I?

23. And he answered and said, He that dippeth his hand with me in the dish, the same shall betray me.

24. The Son of man goeth as it is written of him: but woe unto that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed! it had been good for that man if he had not been born.

25. Then Judas, which betrayed him, answered and said, Master, is it I? He said unto him, Thou hast said.

Originally posted on our Random Religion and Spirituality blog at:

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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.

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Matthew 14:14-21 (KJV Bible) - Jesus Feeds the 5,000

Matthew 14:14-21 (KJV Bible) - Jesus Feeds the 5,000

Today I was spiritually inspired by this Christian scriptural passage from the New Testament. The Gospel of Matthew, Chapter 14, Verses 14-21 in the King James Version:

14. And Jesus went forth, and saw a great multitude, and was moved with compassion toward them, and he healed their sick.

15. And when it was evening, his disciples came to him, saying, This is a desert place, and the time is now past; send the multitude away, that they may go into the villages, and buy themselves victuals.

16. But Jesus said unto them, They need not depart; give ye them to eat.

17. And they say unto him, We have here but five loaves, and two fishes.

18. He said, Bring them hither to me.

19. And he commanded the multitude to sit down on the grass, and took the five loaves, and the two fishes, and looking up to heaven, he blessed, and brake, and gave the loaves to his disciples, and the disciples to the multitude.

20. And they did all eat, and were filled: and they took up of the fragments that remained twelve baskets full.

21. And they that had eaten were about five thousand men, beside women and children.

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Sowing and Reaping - An excerpt from Above Life's Turmoil by Christian philosopher and New Thought author James Allen

Sowing and Reaping - An excerpt from Above Life's Turmoil (1910) by Christian philosopher and New Thought author James Allen

Go into the fields and country lanes in the spring time, and you will see farmers and gardeners busy sowing seeds in the newly prepared soil. If you were to ask any one of those gardeners or farmers what kind of produce he expected from the seed he was sowing, he would doubtless regard you as foolish, and would tell you that he does not "expect" at all, that it is a matter of common knowledge that his produce will be of the kind which he is sowing, and that he is sowing wheat, or barley, or turnips, as the case may be, in order to reproduce that particular kind.

Every fact and process in Nature contains a moral lesson for the wise man. There is no law in the world of Nature around us that is not to be found operating with the same mathematical certainty in the mind of man and in human life. All the parables of Jesus are illustrative of this truth, and are drawn from the simple facts of Nature. There is a process of seed-sowing in the mind and life a spiritual sowing which leads to a harvest according to the kind of seed sown. Thoughts, words, and acts are seeds sown, and, by the inviolable law of things, they produce after their kind.

The man who thinks hateful thoughts brings hatred upon himself. The man who thinks loving thoughts is loved. The man whose thoughts, words and acts are sincere, is surrounded by sincere friends; the insincere man is surrounded by insincere friends. The man who sows wrong thoughts and deeds, and prays that God will bless him, is in the position of a farmer who, having sown tares, asks God to bring forth for him a harvest of wheat. 

"That which ye sow, ye reap; see yonder fields 

The sesamum was sesamum, the corn was corn; 

The silence and the darkness knew;

So is a man's fate born.

He cometh reaper of the things he sowed."

He who would be blest, let him scatter blessings. He who would be happy, let him consider the happiness of others. 

Then there is another side to this seed sowing. The farmer must scatter all his seed upon the land, and then leave it to the elements. Were he to covetously hoard his seed, he would lose both it and his produce, for his seed would perish. It perishes when he sows it, but in perishing it brings forth a great abundance. So in life, we get by giving; we grow rich by scattering. The man who says he is in possession of knowledge that he cannot give out because the world is incapable of receiving it, either does not possess such knowledge, or, if he does, will soon be deprived of it - if he is not already so deprived. To hoard is to lose; to exclusively retain is to be dispossessed.

Even the man who would increase his material wealth must be willing to part with (invest) what little capital he has, and then wait for the increase. So long as he retains his hold on his precious money, he will not only remain poor, but will be growing poorer everyday. He will, after all, lose the thing he loves, and will lose it without increase. But if he wisely lets it go; if, like the farmer, he scatters his seeds of gold, then he can faithfully wait for, and reasonably expect, the increase.

Men are asking God to give them peace and purity, and righteousness and blessedness, but are not obtaining these things; and why not? Because they are not practicing them, not sowing them. I once heard a preacher pray very earnestly for forgiveness, and shortly afterwards, in the course of his sermon, he called upon his congregation to "show no mercy to the enemies of the church." Such self-delusion is pitiful, and men have yet to learn that the way to obtain peace and blessedness is to scatter peaceful and blessed thoughts, words, and deeds.

Men believe that they can sow the seeds of strife, impurity, and unbrotherliness, and then gather in a rich harvest of peace, purity and concord by merely asking for it. What more pathetic sight than to see an irritable and quarrelsome man praying for peace. Men reap that which they sow, and any man can reap all blessedness now and at once, if he will put aside selfishness, and sow broadcast the seeds of kindness, gentleness, and love.

If a man is troubled, perplexed, sorrowful, or unhappy, let him ask:

"What mental seeds have I been sowing?"

"What seeds am I sowing?"

"What have I done for others?"

"What is my attitude towards others?"

"What seeds of trouble and sorrow and unhappiness have I sown that I should thus reap these bitter weeds?"

Let him seek within and find, and having found, let him abandon all the seeds of self, and sow, henceforth, only the seeds of Truth.

Let him learn of the farmer the simple truths of wisdom.

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John 3 (KJV Bible)

John 3 (KJV Bible)

Today I was spiritually inspired by this Christian scriptural passage from the New Testament. The Gospel of John, Chapter 3, King James Version:

1. There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews:

2. The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him.

3. Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

4. Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born?

5. Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.

6. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.

7. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.

8. The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.

9. Nicodemus answered and said unto him, How can these things be?

10. Jesus answered and said unto him, Art thou a master of Israel, and knowest not these things?

11. Verily, verily, I say unto thee, We speak that we do know, and testify that we have seen; and ye receive not our witness.

12. If I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you of heavenly things?

13. And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven.

14. And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up:

15. That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.

16. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

17. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

18. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

19. And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.

20. For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.

21. But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.

22. After these things came Jesus and his disciples into the land of Judaea; and there he tarried with them, and baptized.

23. And John also was baptizing in Aenon near to Salim, because there was much water there: and they came, and were baptized.

24. For John was not yet cast into prison.

25. Then there arose a question between some of John's disciples and the Jews about purifying.

26. And they came unto John, and said unto him, Rabbi, he that was with thee beyond Jordan, to whom thou barest witness, behold, the same baptizeth, and all men come to him.

27. John answered and said, A man can receive nothing, except it be given him from heaven.

28. Ye yourselves bear me witness, that I said, I am not the Christ, but that I am sent before him.

29. He that hath the bride is the bridegroom: but the friend of the bridegroom, which standeth and heareth him, rejoiceth greatly because of the bridegroom's voice: this my joy therefore is fulfilled.

30. He must increase, but I must decrease.

31. He that cometh from above is above all: he that is of the earth is earthly, and speaketh of the earth: he that cometh from heaven is above all.

32. And what he hath seen and heard, that he testifieth; and no man receiveth his testimony.

33. He that hath received his testimony hath set to his seal that God is true.

34. For he whom God hath sent speaketh the words of God: for God giveth not the Spirit by measure unto him.

35. The Father loveth the Son, and hath given all things into his hand.

36. He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.

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