• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Catholic Review

Catholic Review

Inspiring the Archdiocese of Baltimore

Menu
  • Home
  • News
        • Local News
        • World News
        • Vatican News
        • Obituaries
        • Featured Video
        • En Español
        • Sports News
        • Official Clergy Assignments
        • Schools News
  • Commentary
        • Contributors
          • Question Corner
          • George Weigel
          • Elizabeth Scalia
          • Michael R. Heinlein
          • Effie Caldarola
          • Guest Commentary
        • CR Columnists
          • Archbishop William E. Lori
          • Rita Buettner
          • Christopher Gunty
          • George Matysek Jr.
          • Mark Viviano
          • Father Joseph Breighner
          • Father Collin Poston
          • Robyn Barberry
          • Hanael Bianchi
          • Amen Columns
  • Entertainment
        • Events
        • Movie & Television Reviews
        • Arts & Culture
        • Books
        • Recipes
  • About Us
        • Contact Us
        • Our History
        • Meet Our Staff
        • Photos to own
        • Books/CDs/Prayer Cards
        • CR Media platforms
        • Electronic Edition
  • Advertising
  • Shop
        • Purchase Photos
        • Books/CDs/Prayer Cards
        • Magazine Subscriptions
        • Archdiocesan Directory
  • CR Radio
        • CR Radio
        • Protagonistas de Fe
  • News Tips
  • Subscribe

A profound moment of my priesthood

June 21, 2019
By Father J. Collin Poston
Filed Under: Blog, Dust and Dewfall

One of the very first prayers we learned to pray, if not even the very first one as Catholics, is the prayer of making the Sign of the Cross. This simple act, whether made with the words “In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit” or silently and reverently, is indeed a prayer. And it can be a powerful one.One of more profound memories from my priesthood involved a visit a few years ago with an elderly man in the hospital who was dying. When I arrived, he was all alone in his room — no family, nurses or anyone. And he wasn’t even conscious. But I knew he could hear me. His breathing was slow. He was still, unmoving.

I began to pray the rite of the Anointing of the Sick over him I prayed the prayers slowly, gently; loud enough that he could hear but soft enough to be sincere and prayerful.

I remembered the words of Cardinal William H. Keeler who taught me many years ago as a seminarian-deacon and soon-to-be priest that the sacrament of the sick is not for the dead. It is for the living.

I anointed the man in the bed, as the rite suggests, with oil in the form of the sign of the cross on his forehead and then also on his hands. After praying the Lord’s prayer aloud, and giving him the “apostolic pardon,” a prayer for the remission of all his sins before the moment of death, I then gave him a final blessing in the Sign of the Cross over his body.

As soon as I finished, he died. Right in front of me.

This was also around 3 p.m., known as the hour of Divine Mercy. I later learned his wife had been praying this prayer at home for him while I was anointing him.

That was an emotionally intense experience, but as I look back, it was one of the best in my priesthood.

At the moment that man received the last blessing from the Church, through its priest sent to serve him in his final hour and last breath, he went to see and meet our God, the Holy Trinity, who we think of and pray to every time we make the Sign of the Cross.

As we make this prayer, may we live in such desire as to long to see the One, or more appropriately, the “three as One,” today and every day of our lives, in preparation for our own last day.

Print Print

Primary Sidebar

Father J. Collin Poston

View all posts from this author

| Recent Commentary |

Cupcakes with 2025 graduation toothpicks in them and a bowl of cookies

Our 31-hour Road Trip

St. Paul and discovering that sin is ‘missing the mark’

Six lit candles on a chocolate birthday cake

Making a birthday wish come true

Pilgrims of Hope: Walking the Way of St. Francis in the Year of Jubilee

The fisherman and the pharisee

| Recent Local News |

Archbishop Lori announces clergy appointments, including pastor and associate pastors

DUAL ENROLLMENT

Double the learning: Dual enrollment provides college credit to high school students

St. Mary’s purchases former Annapolis Area Christian School

Radio Interview: Exploring the Nicene Creed – Part Two

St. Clement Mary Hofbauer adapts to times, cultures as it celebrates 100th anniversary

| Catholic Review Radio |

CatholicReview · Catholic Review Radio

Footer

Our Vision

Real Life. Real Faith. 

Catholic Review Media communicates the Gospel and its impact on people’s lives in the Archdiocese of Baltimore and beyond.

Our Mission

Catholic Review Media provides intergenerational communications that inform, teach, inspire and engage Catholics and all of good will in the mission of Christ through diverse forms of media.

Contact

Catholic Review
320 Cathedral Street
Baltimore, MD 21201
443-524-3150
mail@CatholicReview.org

 

Social Media

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Recent

  • Pope: Vatican still ready to host peace talks between Russia, Ukraine
  • Archbishop Lori announces clergy appointments, including pastor and associate pastors
  • Pope prays for conversion of those resisting climate action at new Mass
  • Judge blocks, for now, Planned Parenthood defunding provision backed by bishops
  • ANALYSIS: ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ gives school-choice advocates partial victory with more to do
  • Notre Dame prepares to reopen towers’ tour with return of famed statues of saints to rooftop
  • After 12 years, locals welcome pope back to his summer home
  • Double the learning: Dual enrollment provides college credit to high school students
  • Synod office provides guidelines to help local churches, bishops implement synodality

Search

Membership

Catholic Media Assocation

Maryland-Delaware-DC Press Association

The Associated Church Press

© 2025 CATHOLIC REVIEW MEDIA, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED