Urgent prayer request.

Everyone,

I just learned moments ago that my father is dying; in fact, he already may be dead. He's suffering from the final stages of liver failure (likely, due to drug and steroid abuse during his teenage years and later in life), and the hospice which he is at will not give me any information. (He's only 64 years old.) We have not spoken very much over the last 20 years (in fact, not much at all during my entire life). My mom was a teenage mom, having me, her last child at the age of 18 (although, I have always suspected at least one abortion after Roe v. Wade), and my parents divorced when my mom turned 29.

I invited my father to become formally part of the Catholic Church on several occasions, the last being four or so months ago. He refused, and as far as I know, he will die outside of the Church, at least formally.

I would ask the forum for your prayers for the eternal salvation and repose of his immortal soul.

Thanks & Blessings,

Don

Jehanne,

Will do.

Thanks, Mike; I appreciate it and blessings to you! My dad is, I just learned, still alive but slowly sliding into "death's shadow." It could be a few days or perhaps a few weeks; it's difficult to tell exactly when his liver will finally fail. When that happens, the end will not be pleasant for him. Hopefully, he will convert to Catholicism; I would be so happy to see him have Last Rites and a Mass of Christian Burial.

Jehanne,
my prayers with your father also.

At 6:15 pm this evening, EST, I will lead my family in praying the Rosary for your specific intention - that your father may find the grace of repentance and conversion in this his final trial and vale of tears, and that our Blessed Mother will take him under her mantle and lead him to her Son.

Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary, that never was it
known that anyone who fled to thy protection, implored thy
help, or sought thine intercession was left unaided.

Inspired by this confidence, I fly unto thee, O Virgin of virgins,
my mother; to thee do I come, before thee I stand, sinful and
sorrowful. O Mother of the Word Incarnate, despise not my
petitions, but in thy mercy hear and answer me.

Amen.

Don,


My prayers and thoughts are with you and for your Father. Might a Priest be of help?


Your friend,

JMJ,

George

Thanks for your prayers, George. Blessings to you and yours!

My dad, as he enters farther into the final stages of his disease, is "in and out" in terms of his consciousness. As his liver begins shutting down, his body is filling-up with all sorts of toxins, which are causing him to be delusional, even paranoid at times. He is simply no longer disposed to receiving the Sacraments, and as he gave no indication prior to his condition deteriorating, it probably would be sacrilege to administer a sacrament to someone who had rejected that opportunity earlier in life, and especially, one who was never formally Catholic to begin with.

I am going to go and see him on Saturday, which will likely be the last time that I see him alive. I will certainly ask him one final time if he is interested in having a priest receive him into the Church, assuming, of course, that he even understands the concept. After that, I suppose that "salutary repentance" is a possibility, but as we have discussed here before, that seems to be a "catch all" for everyone, more, I think, to make ourselves feel better than a serious opportunity for those who have rejected grace in this life to receive such at "death's door" prior to the next.

If my dad goes to Hell, then such an eternal condemnation would have been a just one. He had his opportunity.

Don't concern yourself too much with the speculation of a particular eternal fate; instead, just trust Jesus and Mary. Place him in their hands and let it go, and have great confidence.

Don't be afraid to say the Chaplets of Mercy. This situation is most precisely what it was meant for.

Everyone,

My dad's death is now imminent. A final round of prayers would be appreciated. I did pray the Chaplet of Divine Mercy in his presence yesterday, as well as five decades of the Rosary. Unfortunately, he will end his life without the Sacraments of the Church.

When he dies, I will post a final post. After that, I will be taking a break from the forum for a while.

Thanks & Blessings,

Don

Jehanne,


Don,
My prayers are with you daily and for your father.


JMJ,

Your friend,

George

From the Pieta Prayer Book.

There once was a Pope in Rome who was surrounded by many sins. The Lord God struck him with a fatal illness. When he saw that he was dying, he summoned cardinals, bishops, and learned persons and said to them: “My dear friends! What comfort can you give me now that I must die, and when I deserve eternal damnation for my sins?” No one answered him. One of them, a pious curate named John said: “Father, why do you doubt the Mercy of God?” The Pope replied: “What comfort can you give me now that I must die and fear that I’ll be damned for my sins?” John replied: “I’ll read three prayers over you; I hope you’ll be comforted and that you’ll obtain Mercy from God.” The Pope was unable to say more. The curate and all those present knelt and said an Our Father, then the following Prayers:

1. Prayer

Lord Jesus Christ! Thou Son of God and Son of the Virgin Mary, God and Man, Thou who in fear sweated blood for us on the Mount of Olives in order to bring peace, and to offer Thy Most Holy Death to God, Thy Heavenly Father, for the salvation of this dying person…if it be, however, that by his sins he merits eternal damnation, then may it be deflected from him. This, O Eternal Father through Our Lord Jesus Christ, Thy Dear Son, Who liveth and reigneth in union with the Holy Spirit now and forever. Amen.

2. Prayer

Lord Jesus Christ! Thou Who meekly died on the trunk of the Cross for us, submitting Thy Will completely to Thy Heavenly Father in order to bring peace and to offer Thy most Holy Death to Thy Heavenly Father in order to free…(this person)… and to hide from him what he has earned with his sins; grant this, O Eternal Father! Through Our Lord, Jesus, Thy Son, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee in union with the Holy Spirit now and forever. Amen.

3. Prayer

Lord Jesus Christ! Thou Who remained silent to speak through the mouths of the Prophets: I have drawn Thee to me through Eternal Love, which Love drew Thee from Heaven into the body of the Virgin, which Love drew Thee from the body of the Virgin into the valley of this needful world, which Love kept Thee 33 years in this world, and as a sign of Great Love, Thou hast given Thy Holy Body as True Food and Thy Holy Blood as True Drink, as a sign of Great Love, Thou has consented to be a prisoner and to be led from one judge to another and as a sign of Great Love Thou hast consented to be condemned to death, and hast consented to die and to be buried and truly risen, and appeared to Thy Holy Mother and all the Holy Apostles, and as a sign of Great Love Thou hast ascended, under Thy own Strength and Power, and sitteth at the Right Hand of God, Thy Heavenly Father, and Thou has sent Thy Holy Spirit into the hearts of Thy Apostles and the hearts of all who hope and believe in Thee. Through Thy Sign of Eternal Love, open Heaven today and take this dying person…and all his sins into the Realm of Thy Heavenly Father, that he may reign with Thee now and forever. Amen.


Meanwhile the Pope died. The curate persevered to the third hour, then the Pope appeared to him in body and comforted him. His countenance as brilliant as the sun, his clothes as white as snow, he said: “My dear brother! Whereas I was supposed to be a child of damnation, I’ve become a child of happiness. As you recited the first Prayer, many of my sins fell from me as rain from Heaven, and as you recited the second Prayer, I was purified, as a goldsmith purifies gold in a hot fire. I was still further purified as you recited the third Prayer. Then I saw Heaven open and the Lord, Jesus, standing on the Right Hand of God the Father Who said to me: “Come, all thy sins are forgiven thee, you’ll be and remain in the Realm of My Father forever. Amen!”

With these words, my soul separated from my body and the Angels of God led it to Eternal Joy.

As the curate heard this, he said: “O Holy Father! I can’t tell these things to anyone, for they won’t believe me.” Then the Pope said: “Truly I tell thee, the Angel of God stands with me and has written the prayers in letters of gold for the consolation of all sinners. If a person had committed all the sins in the world, but that the three Prayers shall have been read at his end, all his sins will be forgiven him, even though his soul was supposed to suffer until the Last Judgment, it will be redeemed.

The person who hears them read, won’t die an unhappy death, nor in whose house they will be read. Therefore, take these prayers and carry them into St. Peter’s Basilica and lay them in the Chapel named the Assumption of Mary, for certain consolation. The person who will be near death, who reads them or hears them read, gains 400 years indulgence for the days he was supposed to suffer in Purgatory because of his guilt. Also, who reads this Prayer or hears it read, the hour of his death shall be revealed to him. Amen!

Thanks, Columba! I printed the prayer out around 11 AM CST this morning. My plan was to drive 60 miles from my home to where my dad was; unfortunately, my fifth child, two-year old Isabella, was screaming from the time we put her in the car. And, then, my wife said, repeatedly, "What smells?" as we drove out of town. A short time later we decided to turn around, as the journey was becoming unbearable. (Plus, the blower in our car is broke and it is really cold around here.)

I had hoped to pray the prayer in my father's presence, having prayed the Chaplet of the Divine Mercy to him on Tuesday and had planned on going to see him again tonight. Unfortunately, he died about an hour ago at 2:45 PM CST. I am going to pray the prayer that you posted tonight with my family; hopefully, God will forgive me, and my dad.

Don,

I am very sorry to hear of your Dad's death. Your intentions of your trip today are known to God. You and your Father will remain in my prayers.


May what you post every time you post be of some comfort to you.

“For in this respect they are in the same condition as the greatest sinners; regenerated in baptism they are alike in sanctity; take away baptism, and they perish all together. It is a fact then, that grace seeks its adopted sons even among the worse sinners in their very last moments, and that many who looked less wicked are denied this gift. But who could say that these facts escape God’s ruling or that He decrees them without a profound justice? …It is obvious that all who die without baptism are lost.” (St. Prosper of Aquitaine, The Call of All Nations 1, 17; 2, 24)

My prayer is that we might all do the right thing in the present moment according to the will of God.

JMJ,

Your friend,

George

May God comfort you all and have mercy on your dear father.

I prayed those prayers for him and will do so again.


Ave Maria, gratia plena,
Dominus tecum,
benedicta tu in mulieribus,
et benedictus fructus ventris tui Iesus.
Sancta Maria mater Dei,
ora pro nobis peccatoribus, nunc, et in hora mortis nostrae.
Amen.

O father St. Joseph,
be with him at the hour of death,
that even though he deserve the eternal fires of hell,
by thine infalible prayers the Lord may take pity and have mercy upon him,
grant him pardon and peace and a share in the eternal happines of heaven,
with thee and the Blessed Virgin Mary and all the holy angels and saints. Amen
St. Joseph, patron of departing souls, pray for him

Eternal rest grant unto him, O Lord,
and let perpetual light shine upon him.
May his soul and the souls of all the faithful departed,
through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.

Jehanne,

I remembered your father in the early hours of this morning between 1 and 2am EST as I prayed before the Blessed Sacrament in our adoration chapel.

I also remembered you and your family.

I hope you will have a Mass(es) said for him.

When you are ready, consider entering his name into the Rorate Caeli Purgatorial Society, http://rorate-caeli.blogspot.com/search/label/Purgatorial%20Society.

Jehanne,
I will pray for the soul of your father tonight at Eucharistic adoration and I will also pray for you and your family.

Don,
My sympathies on the death of your Dad.

Lionel