Praying For The Dying

How do we ease someone into eternity?  Praying for them is the one way I have been able to aid in the transition from this life to eternal life.

Recently I had the privilege of praying for my sister-in-law's mom. She has a very weak heart and is in hospice care.   I sat quietly at her bedside while she ate her scrambled eggs and toast and prayed the Chaplet of Divine Mercy for her.

When invited,  I joined several others in prayer for a woman with brain cancer.  She was fighting so hard and the cancer was beating her.  She allowed several of us to come to her without  foreknowledge of who we were.  We heard her story, single mom with 7 children, and went to minister to her.  She was very grateful.

A few years ago my sister's mother-in-law was losing one of her brothers.  My sister and I showed up with an image of Divine Mercy, and prayed the Chaplet for him.  He got better (not well) and was able to move back to the nursing home for several more months.

We never know how God will answer our prayers for the dying.  We  just have to trust that He honors them and that the person for whom we are praying will remain in His loving care.

Do you know someone who is dying?  It is a very good experience to pray for them while you are with them.  It is much more intimate and they feel your presence even if they are too sick to acknowledge it. And they will leave this life knowing that you cared for them.  What a way to go.