THE LAST ANOINTING

The last and perhaps most important act of a human being is his or her death, for the state of my soul at that decisive moment-either friendship with God or separation from Him-will be the state in which I remain forever in heaven or hell.

Since this last journey from time to eternity is so important, Christ has made it one of His special meeting-points with man. He Himself comes to strengthen the soul for this journey.

St James, one of Jesus’ co-workers, advises Christians to have special recourse to prayer in the time of illness. A Christian who is ill, writes St James, “should send for the elders of the Church to pray over him and anoint Him with oil in the name of the Lord. The prayer offered in faith will save the sick man, the Lord will raise him from his bed (if so God wills), and any sins he may have committed will be forgiven” (James 5, 14-15).

We can stop here, recalling the rich blessings that Christ has left in His Church for men and women in the most meaningful moments of their lives. They are the seven sacraments or meeting-points with Christ: Baptism to give new life; Confirmation to strengthen us with the Holy Spirit for our life’s journey; the Sacrifice of the Mass, where we thank God for all His gifts, and where Christ comes to feed us the bread of life; Penance or Confession for the forgiveness of our adult sins; Marriage for a rich and blessed family life; the office of priesthood for the service of God’s people; the Last Anointing, or the Sacrament of the Sick, for our final journey through death to our Father.

A PRAYER

My God, these are seven vital moments in my life.

Your love for all your children is great.

Please give me your special blessing for these moments, for I am weak and am in great need of your constant help.

Question Paper 5 : Booklets 9 & 10