I can be dense. I freely admit this. I ask God to speak, but
I don’t always hear His response. Sometimes, maybe even often, I’m not really
listening. My thoughts and my mind are filled with too many butterflies. These butterflies
are the concerns, worries, fears and anxieties, duties, dreams and desires of
my day and life, and they make so much noise that they drown out whatever
Divine Response He may wish to make.
Because of this, He sometimes needs to give me a jolt. The more distracted I am, the larger the jolt
I need and may receive.
This time the jolt came from out of the blue, and it was a
large one. The passing of a good friend
is never easy and when it is unexpected, it is even more difficult to process,
to deal with. Questions fill my head and
sorrow and pain fill my heart; not only for the one who passed, but for those
left behind. There is a blessing in
this jolt, though it is not at first apparent.
I am reminded of God’s promise to his faithful ones that
they will be with Him in paradise. That
is His promise and He always keeps His promises. My friend is at peace. Thank you, God.
I am also reminded of the fact that those who pass before us
may need our help through our prayers, suffrages and good works. Although I had been aware of this, it was
Father Tom Fogarty who instilled in me a true devotion to the Holy Souls in
Purgatory and to those who died unexpectedly or unprepared. It was he who gave me the wonderful prayers
to help ease their time of purification, and perhaps shorten it, or, in the
case of those who are likely to pass on (or do pass on) unprepared or
unexpectedly, to gain the grace of final penitence. So the second part of the jolt I received was
to rekindle this devotion. If the souls
prayed for do not need the prayers because they went directly to, or have now
entered Heaven, my prayers and actions on their behalf will still be beneficial
to some other soul. Nothing will be wasted.
Here are two simple prayers can be said every day, as many times
as desired for these souls:
For the Souls in
Purgatory:
Eternal rest grant to the souls in purgatory (or insert
name(s) here), O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. May their souls and the souls of all the
faithful departed, through the mercy of God rest in peace. Amen.
For Those Who Will
Die Unexpectedly or Unprepared:
Lord, for those who are going to die unexpectedly and/or
unprepared this moment and this day I pray in union with the prayers and
intercessions of the Blessed Virgin Mary and St. Joseph and all the Masses
being said throughout the world.
Father Benedict
Groeschel recommends this prayer, or something similar, be said every day as
well: (This is for those who have no one to pray for them or don’t have enough time or
the inclination to prepare for a good and holy death.)
“If there’s a soul, a person dying alone today, in the
world, and there’s nobody with them, by my prayers I want to go with them up to
the last judgment.” Amen
He said that this type of prayer can be said for anyone in
any situation from the mundane to the dramatic, from the unexpected to the
tragic and sad...and that these souls will be very grateful for such a prayer.
So this was the first jolt I received with my friend’s
unexpected passing. The next jolt was a reminder that time is short. None
of us knows how much time we have on this earth. God alone knows and has known from the
beginning. I must be appreciative of all the gifts and opportunities I have been given. Life is too short to spend on
frivolous, questionable, or sinful activities.
I must adjust my priorities. Is
God my Center, my Goal, my Raison D’être? If not, why not…what has pushed Him
out of first position? Time to take
stock and adjust if necessary. What must I change? Rearrange? Get rid of?
Time is passes quickly. I can’t put off what needs to be done. No one
is guaranteed tomorrow. Now is the time for action. The present is all I have. It is God’s precious gift to me. May He grant
me the grace to see His will in it and the courage and strength to do His Will
to the best of my ability. May He grant
that I, and all those I love and care about, not to be caught unprepared when
He calls us home. If I strive to amend
my life now, with the help of His grace, I will be ready when He comes—and that
is a great comfort.
I pray for the repose of the soul of my friend and ask for
prayers in return. The prayers of the Holy Souls are powerful and I know they
will pray if we ask.
Sometimes it takes a jolt to emphasize what is important. I pray that one day that will not be the case,
that my ears will be open to hear, my eyes to see, and my heart to understand.
Rest in peace, my friend, and may the light of the Divine
Master Shine on You always. Please pray for us as we pray for you. Amen.
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