It’s always a difficult time for me when we hit Q4 for I remember the last days of W and E who both passed away within six weeks of each other two years ago. I still remember the daily visits to the hospice in the last week of W’s and then to the hospital for E. It was important to me to be present and to pray for their peace and comfort in that last leg for there can be fear and spiritual suffering that accompanies the physical suffering. At that time, I was praying the prayer of Saint Bridget daily and I was reminded of how dying can be fraught with great struggle, and I witnessed frequently how praying actually calmed them down and offered respite.
Never more so than during the period of dying have I seen how powerful prayer can be. I remember how E (who was with me on a call from the Philippines) and I prayed for my aunt, M, the night before she died and we could both sense the inner conflict my aunt was facing, and as we continued to pray, how she eventually turned a spiritual corner.
Never more so than during those last moments of decline have I seen how merciful God can be. So it’s important not just to pray for the dead, which is what November is all about, but it is vital to pray as much as you can with someone you know or love when they are dying. It doesn’t even matter if you are not by their bedside. I remembered how my brother, mother and I prayed the Divine Mercy chaplet for my aunt, R, who was dying in Brisbane (we were all back in Melbourne after having gone to Brisbane to say goodbye to her earlier) and we were told later that day that she went peacefully. P was in the US on a work trip then, and he, too, had prayed for my aunt near her end.
Often guilt over our sins can cause anguish and can create much fear - and we can be afraid to die, whether we believe in eternal life or not. P, a geriatrician, has witnessed among his patients how dying can be a difficult, lengthy process, especially when they are afraid of death. So never forget the mercy of God, something we can always count on. And, there is always redemption, if we want it. A good way of exercising that want is to try our best to lead spotless lives and to frequent the confessional. When we err, to quickly right the wrongs, making restitution speedily along with a heartfelt apology, and conversely, to forgive ceaselessly, allowing all grudges to slide off our backs with ease.
Just as much as I pray for the dying when the need arises, I pray for the dead every day: for the souls of the recently departed (especially people I know or loved ones of people I know), and for all holy souls in purgatory. Every November, the Feasts of All Saints and of All Souls commemorate those who have gone before us. It was revealed to Elizabeth Kindelmann that by praying one Hail Mary in honour of Our Mother’s Flame of Love, "10 souls" will be released from suffering in purgatory in November. Ordinarily we pray three Hail Marys to release a soul from purgatory.
Even though I find praying the rosary daily a little onerous at times, what makes me persevere is the thought of how many people I can help through my intercessory efforts, besides saving my own soul through the transformative power of prayer. The rosary, the Divine Mercy chaplet and the Flame of Love chaplet, these are my staples of prayer for it is through such prayers that we can make a difference to those who are dying and to those who are still in purgatory. So let us pray.
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