Five Things Every Catholic Should Know (and many don't)

1. The Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick is not part of Last Rites. The shift in emphasis from extremunction to Anointing was made over 40 years ago. However, Last Rites has always consisted of Confession and Communion. Don’t wait to call a priest until it is too late for the dying person to receive them. If you do YOU may be depriving them of the chance to properly prepare for heaven.


2. The funeral rites of the Church are not for a “celebration of the life” of the deceased. That is common in secular “memorial services”. The funeral of a Catholic is so that the community can pray that the deceased person may be forgiven their sins and go to heaven. It isn’t accomplished yet. We’re praying for it and we do that with the same prayers for all the baptized. You can personalize your license plates, not a funeral. Personal eulogies are best done at a wake, not the funeral. Besides, reflecting on the resurrection of Jesus is personal to a committed Christian.


3. Fasting for an hour from everything (except water or medication) before receiving Communion is a REQUIREMENT, not a suggestion. That includes breath mints and gum too.


4. Coming to mass each and every Sunday is an obligation binding on all Catholics. If you’re sick or in some way prevented from coming (for example, because there is 4 feet of snow on the ground) then you can stay home. However, skipping mass on purpose is still considered a serious (i.e. mortal) sin. When you do miss mass without a good reason you should not receive Communion again until you go to Confession.


5. Speaking of Confession, it is REQUIRED, not suggested, that you go to Confession at least once every year. Failure to do so is also a serious sin.