Preparing a Person for Death

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Anointing of the Sick

When my father was dying, my mother made sure he was well-prepared.  Even now when we, her children, mention to her that an elderly friend is in the hospital or if a friend is in critical condition, she instructs us in what we HAVE to do.  Today, we learned that someone is very critical.  This person has been away from the Church for many years.  This may also be this person's last illness.  Thankfully, this person wants to return home to the Catholic church.  Once again, my mother gave instructions of what must be done to help this person die a holy death.

However, I have personally encountered the very sick and elderly people to be frightened when the anointing of the sick is mentioned.  One elderly person would not let the priest touch her for the necessary anointing.  It is to this priest's credit that he did all he could with someone not open to this sacrament, to finally be able to administer it as best he could.  The reason for this reaction may be that the elderly person still confuse this beautiful sacrament of healing with the old name of Extreme Unction.  That name may be associated as the sacrament for the dying.  We should be aware that sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick is for the elderly, for the chronically ill as well as those in danger of dying.  Receiving this sacrament may make a person  open to God's healing, if it be His will.

The other reason for the fear is that the devil and his demons may be already fighting for that person's soul.  We need to pray but especially for those agonizing in death.

Try to explain the importance and the benefits of this sacrament to the person in need of it but also to the family members (if you are not the immediate family member).

WHAT TO DO:

1.  Contact a priest immediately and make arrangements for him to administer the anointing of the sick.  Even if it is after hours, the church has instructions on how to reach a priest in case of an emergency.  If you are a friend or a relative of  the person in need, you may have to do this act of charity yourself as the family may be too distraught or confused at that time.

IMPORTANT: A priest should also be asked to give an Apostolic blessing.

The apostolic blessing with plenary indulgence at the hour of death should be imparted, following the reception of the last sacraments, to those who desire it while still rational and conscious. It may likewise be granted to anyone who has given any indication of such desire, or who has seemed contrite before becoming unconscious or irrational. But it must be denied absolutely to the excommunicated, the impenitent, or those who die in patent mortal sin.

2.  Bring holy water with you and sprinkle the sick person's bed with holy water as well as the entire hospital/hospice/bedroom with this powerful sacramental.  The reason for this is that the demons will be surrounding a dying person, fighting God for that person's soul.  When we use a sacramental like Holy Water, it will protect the person against evil forces.

3.  Place a brown scapular over the person's neck.  A dying person needs the protection of Our blessed mother and the promises she made for those who wear her brown scapular.

Our Lady appeared to St. Simon Stock and made the following promise:

 "Take this Scapular, it shall be a sign of salvation, a protection in danger and a pledge of peace.  Whosoever dies wearing this scapular shall not suffer eternal fire."

Brown Scapular History

4.  Pray the Chaplet of Divine Mercy while in the presence of the dying person.
Chaplet of Divine Mercy for the Sick and Dying.

“When they say this chaplet in the presence of the dying, I will stand between My Father and the dying person, not as the just judge, but as the merciful Savior” (Diary 1541) . 

5.  My family and I prayed the following prayer as many times as we could as our father was dying.   It was the Ancient Prayer to St. Joseph found in the Pieta.  It has been modified so that it can be prayed for someone in need.

O St. Joseph, whose protection is so great, so strong, so prompt before the throne of God, we place in you all of NAME OF PERSON'S INTERESTS AND DESIRES. O St. Joseph, do assist NAME OF PERSON by your powerful intercession and obtain for NAME OF PERSON from your Divine Son all spiritual blessings through Jesus Christ, Our Lord; so that having engaged here below your heavenly power, I may offer my thanksgiving and homage to the most loving of Fathers.  O St. Joseph, I never weary contemplating you and Jesus asleep in your arms.  I dare not approach while He reposes near your heart.  Press Him in my name and kiss His fine Head for NAME OF PERSON, and ask Him to return the kiss when NAME OF PERSON draws his/her dying breath.  St. Joseph, patron of departing souls, pray for NAME OF PERSON.  Amen.

EWTN Family Prayer - For Those Who Are Dying

EWTN Family Prayer - Those Who Are Dying

For a Dying Friend

Prayer for the Dying

God of power and mercy,
you have made death itself
the gateway to eternal life.
Look with love on our dying brother,
and make him one with your Son in his suffering and death
that, sealed with the blood of Christ,
he may come before you free from sin.

Amen.

- New Saint Joseph People's Prayer Book, Catholic Book Publishing Company

Divine Mercy for the Dying

"Extreme Unction", part of The Seven Sacraments (1445) by Roger van der Weyden

The following is from Notebook II of Sister Faustina's Diary, page 320 #811

"...At the hour of their death I defend as My own glory every soul that will say this chaplet; or when others say it for a dying person, the indulgence is the same. When this chaplet is said by the bedside of a dying person, God's anger is placated, unfathomable mercy envelops the soul, and the very depths of My tender mercy are moved for the sake of the sorrowful Passion of My son."

Holy Souls - Anointing the dying - Apostolic Pardon

With our own parents getting older and friends passing away expectantly, I was fortunate enough to come across the following:


Why it is important to call for a priest early on to administer the Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick to a loved one who is near death?

Here are some of the most important reasons :

1. The sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick takes away all mortal and venial sins, even if the person is unconscious. To hear the person's last confession and to provide them with the Viaticum ( Holy Eucharist ), prepares them for their journey to Our Lord. In addition, the apostolic pardon takes away any temporal punishment(purgatory time) that remains for the soul. Apostolic Pardon: (to be given by a priest only): " By the authority granted me by the Holy See, I hereby grant you full pardon and remission of all your sins: In the Name of the Father + and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen."

2. The devil at the time of death tempts the soul to despair by accusing it of its sins. Among other reasons, Our Lord instituted the Chaplet of Divine Mercy to drive him away at this time.

3. To restore the dying person to health. Although this is not a primary reason for the last sacrament, God sometimes allows a dying person to become fully recovered after receiving this sacrament, when the healing of the body is of spiritual benefit to the soul.

4. To save the soul of a person who is estranged from God by being in an unrepentant state of mortal sin. I have personal knowledge of such a case where a priest was called in to administer the last sacrament,where the dying person became repentant as a result of prayers from his family, especially the recitation of the Divine Mercy Chaplet.

5.To give the dying person the courage and strength to withstand their sufferings, knowing that they are fully prepared to meet Our Divine Savior. If a person is unconscious or apparently dead, should you call the priest?Yes ! The priest will administer a conditional anointing which will take away all mortal and venial sins, and if he gives the apostolic pardon, all purgatory time will be removed. Theologians differ as to when exactly the soul departs. Many teach that the soul remains for several hours in the vicinity of its body and can be conditionally anointed and given the apostolic pardon during this time.
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