doubt whether the person is sick enough to receive
the last Sacraments, do not be the judge yourself,
send for the priest and let him judge; and then all
the responsibility is removed from you in case the
person should die without the Sacraments. Very
often persons are near death, and their relatives
do not know it. The priest, like the doctor,
has experience in these cases, and can judge of the
danger. Again, do not foolishly believe, as some
seem to do, that if the priest comes to anoint the
sick person it will frighten him by making him think
he is going to die. It has never been known that
the priest killed anyone by coming to see him; and
if these same persons who are now sick receive the
Sacraments in the church from the very same priest,
why should they be afraid to receive them from him
in their house? And if they are so near death
that a little fright would kill them, then they are
surely sick enough to receive the Sacraments.
The sick person who is afraid that Extreme Unction
will kill him or hasten his death shows that he has
not the proper faith and confidence in God’s
grace. They who do not wish to receive Holy Communion
or the Holy Viaticum in their houses do not want Our
Lord to visit them. How ungrateful they are!
When Our Lord was on earth the people carried the
sick out into the streets to lay them near Him that
He might cure them. Now, He does not require us
to do that, but comes Himself to the sick in the most
humble manner, and they refuse to receive Him.
See how ungrateful, therefore, and how wanting in
faith and devotion such persons are! If the sick
person is one who has been careless about his religion,
and has for some time neglected to receive the Sacraments,
do not wait for him to ask for the priest or for his
consent to send for him. Few persons ever believe
they are so near death as they really are: they
are afraid to think of their past lives, and do not
like to send for the priest, or at least they put
off doing so, frequently till it is too late.
The devil tempts them to put off the reception of
the Sacraments, in hopes that they may die without
them, and be his forever. In these cases speak
to the sick man quietly and gently, and ask him if
he would not like to have the priest come and say
a few prayers for his recovery. Do not say anything
about the Sacraments if you are afraid he will refuse.
Simply bring the priest to the sick man, and he will
attend to all the rest. Even if the person should
refuse—if he has been baptized in the Catholic
religion—send for the priest and explain
to him the circumstances and dispositions of the sick
man. It would be terrible to let such persons
die without the Sacraments if there is any possibility
of their receiving them. Even when they refuse
to see the priest it generally happens that after he
has once visited them, talked to them, and explained
the benefits of the Sacraments, they are better pleased
than anyone else to see him coming again.