Extreme unction
Interpretation
October 3rd 2011
However we have lived our life, whatever mistakes we have made, when the time comes for us to leave this earth, each of us can at least endeavour to do so in a spirit of peace and harmony, reconciled with all beings, and particularly with God. In the Christian religion, this is the meaning of extreme unction.
Extreme unction, the sacrament a priest administers to the dying, is based on true knowledge: a person’s inner state during their last moments determines the path they will follow in the next world. It also plays an important role in their next incarnation and therefore their long-term future. This sacrament is simply a way of allowing us to leave the earth in the best possible conditions, but like all sacraments the ritual itself is not absolutely essential. It is meant to help those who receive it, but we can all live our last moments in the light without receiving this sacrament.