EXTREME UNCTION.* If the blessed unction is not administered immediately after Confession or Communion, one of those present shall first repeat the general confession of sins. Then shall the Priest say: Almighty God have mercy upon thee, forgive thee thy sins, and bring thee to everlasting life. Sick person (or one of those present). Amen. Priest (making the sign of the cross) May the Almighty and merciful Lord grant thee pardon, absolution, and remission of thy sins. Sick person. Amen. Priest (laying his right hand on the head of the sick person). O Lord God, who hast spoken by thine Apostle James, saying, "Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord; and the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him :" alleviate, we beseech thee, O our Redeemer, by the grace of the Holy Spirit, the sufferings of this thy servant who is sick; heal his wounds, and forgive his sins, free him from all pains of body and mind, and mercifully restore to him full health inwardly and outwardly; that, being recovered by the help of thy mercy, he may again be able to work in thy service; who with the Father and the Holy Ghost livest and reignest God, world without end. Amen. Then the priest shall dip his thumb in the holy oil, and anoint the several parts of the body in the form of a cross, saying: At the unction of the eyes. Through this holy unction, and through his most tender mercy, the Lord pardon thee whatever sins thou hast committed by seeing. At the unction of the ears. Amen. Through this holy unction, and through his most tender mercy, the Lord pardon thee whatever sins thou hast committed by hearing. Amen. At the unction of the lips. Through this holy unction, and through his most tender mercy, the Lord pardon thee whatever sins thou hast committed with thy mouth. Amen. At the unction of the hands (on the inside of the palms). Through this holy unction, and through his most tender mercy, the Lord pardon thee whatever sins thou hast committed with thy hands. Amen. At the unction of the feet. Through this holy unction, and through his most tender mercy, the Lord pardon thee whatever sins thou hast committed in thy walk through life. Amen. The unction of a single eye, ear, &c., is sufficient. In cases of extremity the forehead only need be anointed, with these words: Through this holy unction, and through his most tender mercy, the Lord pardon thee whatever sins thou hast committed with the senses of thy body, and with the thoughts and desires of thy heart. Amen. *Extreme unction is so called because it is the last of the anointings received by Christian people. Directly after each unction, the oil shall be wiped off with cotton wool or similar material, which shall afterwards be burned. When the unction is finished, the Priest shall say: Lord, have mercy upon us. Answer. Christ, have mercy upon us. Priest. Lord, have mercy upon us. Our Father (aloud). Priest. O God, heal thy servant. Answer. Because he hopeth in thee. Ans. Amen. Priest. Send him help, O Lord, from thy sanctuary. Answer. Against the face of the enemy. Priest. Lord, hear my prayer. Answer. And let my cry come unto thee. Answer. And with thy spirit. Priest. Let us pray. Look down graciously, O Lord, upon this thy servant groaning under severe bodily suffering, and refresh the soul which thou hast created; that being cured of his sickness, he may praise thee as his Saviour; through Christ our Lord. Amen. Almighty Father, eternal God, who dost both strike and heal, who sendest sickness and recovery, hear the prayer of faith wherewith we call upon thy name, and raise this sick man up again; that reinstated by thee, he may be restored sound to his and thy holy Church, and may long live safe within it; through Christ our Lord. Amen. Or (if there appear small hope of the sick person's recovery). Almighty Father, eternal God, Lord of life and death, hear, as thou hast promised, our prayer of faith, and let it benefit this sick person; forgive him his sins, alleviate his sufferings, and assist him in this hour of trial; strengthen him and us with thy grace, that with humility and resignation he may accept at thy all-merciful hand whatsoever thou impartest, according to thine inscrutable counsels; through Christ our Lord. Amen PRAYERS FOR THE SICK. Almighty everlasting God, who with wisdom and fatherly goodness disposest of the destiny of mankind, and directest all things to our highest good, thou hast now laid me on a bed of sickness, and with merciful intention hast sent me a painful trial. Vouchsafe unto me Christian patience, and strengthen my trust in thy goodness, that I may neither be feeble-minded and despondent, nor murmur against thy wise decrees. Thou art my Father, equally tender both in the time of sickness and in the time of health. I am in thy hands, and thou wilt not forsake thy servant at a moment when he standeth in such sore need of thy assistance. Dispose of me according to thy holy pleasure. My will through life, both in suffering and in death, shall be one with thine. With childlike resignation I will bear whatever pain or suffering thou sendest ine. Only support me with thy grace, and come to the rescue of my weakness. Without thee can I do nothing; strengthen thou me, thou that art the stay of the weak. II. O dearest Saviour! During thy life on earth thou didst exhibit thy_power and goodness to many in sickness and affliction who believed on thee. In this same faith I call to thee. Jesu, thou Son of David, have mercy on me. Hear me according to thy boundless mercy, and send me health again, that I may resume the occupation of my calling, and work in thy service. Then will I work out my own improvement with greater zeal than heretofore, and consecrate all the days of my life to thee in true fulfilment of my duty. III. Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not my will but thine be done. Restore me to life again, if a longer life is more beneficial to me than death. But if thou hast decreed in thy wisdom to summon me away from this earth, I bow myself humbly under thy strong hand. I know it. Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither hath entered into the heart of man what God hath prepared for them that love him. Lord, I love thee with my whole heart. Assist me, that I may continue and ever increase in this love, until I can say with the apostle, "I could wish to depart and be with Christ*.' Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit. Jesus, I love thee; Jesus, I die to thee; Jesus, I am thine in life and death. IV. BEFORE THE RECEPTION OF THE SACRAMENTS. My Lord and Saviour! thou hast appointed the means of grace, by which thou makest us partakers of the fruit of thy redemption, and givest strength and consolation to the sick. Let them also redound to my salvation, and assist me, that I may worthily receive the holy sacraments, and through them may be made inwardly one with thee. Enlighten my understanding, that I may rightly apprehend the condition of my soul. Touch and awaken my heart, that I may truly repent of all the sins and negligences of my whole life, and may confess them with true submission, and a firm trust in thy mercy; and that I may obtain absolution through thy merits, who hast offered thyself on the cross for the sins of the whole world. Assist me also that, as thou wilt deign to take up thy abode under my roof, I may receive thee with humble trust and thankful love, remembering thy words: "This is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die. If any man eat of this bread, he shall live for evert." (Fulfil also in me what thou hast promised, "Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the Church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord; and the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him**.") Behold, I follow thy loving invitation: "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you restt." Prove thyself to me as him who is come neither to break the bruised reed, nor to quench the smoking flax, as him whom God has given in order that all who believe on him should not perish, but have everlasting life. *Phil. i. 23. +S. John vi. 50, 51. **S. James v. 14, 15. IS. Matt, xi. 28. V. Heavenly Father, Omniscient God, who seest through all the thoughts of my heart, I confess before thee; I have sinned, I have sinned often against thee, my best Benefactor, my kindest Father, and my highest Good. It repenteth me from the depths of my heart, that in my actions I have been so unthankful towards thee, so blind and foolish towards myself, so unloving and unrighteous towards my neighbour. I should have followed thy holy will in all things. But I have acted in a contrary way, and have done what thou hast forbidden. 0 Father, thou seest the pain which afflicts me, and the shame which fills me. only from fear of punishment, but also from love for thee, I hate and abhor my sins as the greatest evil, and I renounce them utterly before thy holy gaze. Forgive thy weak child, forgive me all my sins for Jesus' sake. Forthwith will I endeavour to avoid all sin, to serve thee truly, to fulfil all my duties conscientiously, and to become daily more like my Saviour. O God, grant me thy grace to accomplish this. Not O Jesu, thou Saviour of the world, thou who art come to seek and to save that which was lost, graciously regard my repentance and my resolution, and speak to me also those words of comfort which thou hast spoken to the sick man in the Gospel, "my son, be of good cheer, thy sins are forgiven thee." VI. BEFORE COMMUNION. I believe, O Lord, that thou art Christ, the Son of the living God, the Saviour of the world. I believe all that thou hast taught, for thou hast the words of eternal life. I believe that thou hast died for our sins, and by thy death hast reconciled us to thy heavenly Father. I believe the words which thou hast spoken, "I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world. He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him*." I place my hope, O Lord, in thy goodness and mercy. I trust that thou hast graciously forgiven me my sins, and that thou wilt fulfil in me thy promise: "He that eateth of this bread shall live for ever†.” I thank thee, O Lord, for all thy clemency, and all thy mercy. I love thee above all things; for thou art my Redeemer and Saviour, my consolation and my help. Thou hast said: "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will refresh yout." So refresh me, as full of trust I have recourse to thee. The Body of our Lord Jesus Christ preserve my soul unto everlasting life. VII. Almighty and everlasting God, behold I approach the sacrament of thy onlybegotten Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. As one sick, I come to the physician of life, as blind to the light of eternal splendour, as poor and needy to the Lord of heaven and earth. I implore thee, therefore, after thine infinite mercy, that thou wouldest heal my sickness, lighten my darkness, enrich my poverty, and clothe my nakedness, that I may receive the bread of angels, the King of kings, and Lord of lords, with such reverence and fear, such contrition and devotion, 18. Matt. xi. 28. *S. John vi. 51, 56. +S. John vi. 58. such faith and purity as are expedient for the welfare of my soul. Grant me, O Lord, to receive not only outwardly the sacrament of the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ, but also inwardly the power and effects of this sacrament. O God of love and clemency, grant me so to receive the Body of thy only-begotten Son, that I may be incorporated in his mystical Body, and be reckoned among his members. Grant that him whom I now prepare myself to receive during this life's journey veiled under the form of bread, even thy beloved Son, I may hereafter behold with open face, who with thee, and the Holy Ghost, liveth and reigneth, God for evermore. Amen. VIII. AFTER COMMUNION. I thank thee. my Lord and Saviour, that in the fulness of thy mercy thou hast deigned to visit me. Abide thou in me, and let me abide in thee. Help me that nothing more may ever separate me from thy love. Keep far from my heart all that is displeasing to thee. Assist me to bear patiently the pains of my sickness. Show thyself to be the heavenly physician both of soul and body, and restore health to me if it tends to my salvation. All the days that thou yet shall send me will I spend in thy love and service. But if thou hast otherwise decreed in thy wisdom, yet fulfil in me thy promise: "Whoso eateth of this bread shall live for ever." I thank thee, Lord, that I have found O let me not forsake thee, Lord, For thou alone throughout my life IX. PRAYER OF A DYING PERSON. I pray to thee, O true and living God. I believe in thee, O eternal Truth. My hopes are fixed on thee, thou endless Good and Mercy. I love thee with my whole heart above all things, O my kindest Father, my highest Good. I repent of all my sins. O God, have mercy on me, for thy beloved Son Jesus' sake. O Jesus, have pity on thy servant, whom thou hast redeemed by thy blood. I die trusting in thy boundless merit. Jesus, I believe in thee; Jesus, I hope in thee; Jesus, I love thee above everything. Come, O Jesus, deliver me; come, O Jesus, strengthen me; come, O Jesus, and bear me into thy kingdom. Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit. Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. Holy Mary, pray for me. My Angel Guardian, pray for me. My Patron, S--, pray for me. |