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beachmoss
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| Joined: | Mon Nov 13th, 2006 |
| Location: | Simpsonville, South Carolina USA |
| Posts: | 289 |
| First Name: | Beth | | Gender: | Female | | Faith History: | Catholic (raised Baptist) |
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Posted: Tue Aug 28th, 2007 06:14 pm |
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My dear aunt is dying of cancer. For the past several months I have been asking St. Peregrine to assist in her healing. I was told today that she has been given a few days to a week. I know my mother (her sister) and my cousin are hoping for a miracle, (I am too) but I'm a realist and I can see how weak she has become. Although I have seen and heard of miracle turn-arounds--my feeling is that's she's lived a long (74), full life and that's she's tired of the fight and ready to let go.
My question is: at point is it appropiate to cease petitioning St. Peregrine for healing and petition St. Joseph for a happy death?
I don't want to "write her off" before it's time, but I do want the assurances that St. Joseph will be there to assist her when it's time.
Beth
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David W. Emery
Network Helper
| Joined: | Fri Sep 29th, 2006 |
| Location: | Brownsville, Texas USA |
| Posts: | 2096 |
| First Name: | David | | Gender: | Male | | Faith History: | Catholic |
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Posted: Tue Aug 28th, 2007 08:31 pm |
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No problem, Beth. You can pray, “If it be God’s will to take her unto himself…” and that should take care of your scruples over whether her time has come. Really, considering the situation, I shouldn’t think even that concession necessary. I had no difficulty praying without conditional clauses last winter when it appeared that my wife was about to die. The fact that she recovered and today is doing quite well (except for an inability to stand and walk, which has the advantage that I don’t have to ship her off to Timbuktu again because there is no proper facility available locally for ambulatory Alzheimers patients) shows that God and his heavenly host understand what is needed no matter what we say. I couldn’t be more thankful.
David
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BettyBoopToo
Member
| Joined: | Mon Oct 9th, 2006 |
| Location: | Camas/Washougal, Washington USA |
| Posts: | 538 |
| First Name: | Betty | | Gender: | Female | | Faith History: | Fist Baptist/Calvary Babtist/Secular Confusion/ Roman Catholic |
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Posted: Tue Aug 28th, 2007 08:57 pm |
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beachmoss wrote: My dear aunt is dying of cancer. For the past several months I have been asking St. Peregrine to assist in her healing. I was told today that she has been given a few days to a week. I know my mother (her sister) and my cousin are hoping for a miracle, (I am too) but I'm a realist and I can see how weak she has become. Although I have seen and heard of miracle turn-arounds--my feeling is that's she's lived a long (74), full life and that's she's tired of the fight and ready to let go.
Beth; I'm so sorry about your aunt! I know how painful it is to stand by and watch a loved one go through this suffering and feel helpless in a way to relieve them.
My question is: at point is it appropiate to cease petitioning St. Peregrine for healing and petition St. Joseph for a happy death?
As David already stated, praying and asking for Gods will in your situation is the best that you can do. If Gods will is to heal her, then he will, if not then asking St. Joseph to intercede and assist her in a happy death then that is also appropriate.
I don't want to "write her off" before it's time, but I do want the assurances that St. Joseph will be there to assist her when it's time.
God knows your heart and he will hear your prayers. I don't see this as a "writing her off" but as an exceptance and preparation to follow what ever the lord will is this painful situation.
When my beloved Pop, died of Leukemia. I had knelt next to his bedside the night before he died. I'd not prayed in years. I asked God if it was his will that he would please bring dad home with him and relieve him of this suffering. He passed the next day. I unnecessarily felt guilt about my prayer for several years afterward. Since that time, I have come to realize that my prayer was best for dad relief. Continueing to ask God to keep him alive and continue suffering for me and my selfishness to refuse to let him go, would have been cruel in my humble opinion in my own situation.
I'll pray for your aunt also, I always like to envision or lady meeting her with loving arms and leading her to heaven.
Praying for a happy death and asking St. Joseph's intercession is always appropriate for anyone, no matter their state in Life.
God Bless you and your family in this sad & Painful time.
Betty
____________________
Patience
"Whenever anything disagreeable or displeasing happens to you, remember Christ crucified and be silent."
St. John of the Cross
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CajunRick
Network Helper
| Joined: | Fri Sep 29th, 2006 |
| Location: | Houma, Louisiana USA |
| Posts: | 5353 |
| First Name: | Rick (& Kermie) | | Gender: | Male | | Faith History: | Lifetime Catholic, Latin Rite |
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Posted: Tue Aug 28th, 2007 11:30 pm |
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beachmoss wrote: My question is: at point is it appropiate to cease petitioning St. Peregrine for healing and petition St. Joseph for a happy death?
There is no contradiction in praying for both. When I prayed with hospice patients, it was always for healing of mind, body, and soul, according to God's will, and for peace at the time of death whenever it might come, not only for the patient but for all present.
One of the first prayers we teach little children contains the words, "pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death". We certainly don't expect death to come quickly when we teach these words to a little child, and yet we are invoking our Blessed Mother to pray for all of us "now and at the hour of our death".
The fact is we begin to die at the moment of our conception. Some do not make it to birth; others will never start school; some will not graduate. Some will be killed tragically by abortion, accident, or homicide; others will develop tragic and incurable diseases; by their mid-to late-seventies, half of all the babies that were born that year will have already died. Death is a reality of life from the moment it begins.
It is never inappropriate to pray for healing, but remember that our souls need healing, too. When you pray for her healing, also pray for the forgiveness of her sins and freedom from materialism. And when you pray that she receive the gift of a happy death, pray that whenever her death may come, be it tomorrow or twenty years from now, that she will be brought to God's Moghty Throne by her parents and accompanied by all she loved who went before her to eternity. And pray that when it is your time to enter eternity, that she will be there praying to St. Joseph that you might be granted the grace of a happy death, and she will be standing with you when you are presented at God's Mighty Throne.
And what a glorious day that will be!
____________________
Understanding is the reward of faith. Therefore seek not to understand that you may believe, but believe that you may understand. - Augustine
Rick Luquette
Luquette Lane
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Credo Catholic
Member
| Joined: | Sat May 5th, 2007 |
| Location: | Greenville, South Carolina USA |
| Posts: | 1400 |
| First Name: | Marsha | | Gender: | Female | | Faith History: | Baptist, Catholic |
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Posted: Wed Aug 29th, 2007 01:48 am |
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| Beth, is your aunt catholic? I know you had said your family was baptist. If she is, would it be appropriate to say a rosary or special chaplet by her bed? I will pray for God to bless her and fulfill her needs as He knows best, whether that is full recovery or a happy and peaceful death. God bless
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beachmoss
Member
| Joined: | Mon Nov 13th, 2006 |
| Location: | Simpsonville, South Carolina USA |
| Posts: | 289 |
| First Name: | Beth | | Gender: | Female | | Faith History: | Catholic (raised Baptist) |
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Posted: Sun Sep 2nd, 2007 11:10 pm |
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I want to thank all of you for your responses and prayers!
My dear aunt passed away peacefully around 1:00am Thursday. Her husband and daughter were with her at the time.
Wednesday evening when my kids said their bedtime prayers, we asked that God's will be done, and if He chose to take her then please allow St. Joseph to grant her a happy death. I know our prayers were answered!!
I am so glad that she is no longer suffering. And that my uncle and cousin are relieved of their suffering too! My cousin's husband told me that they both had a full night's sleep Friday night--the first time they had slept through the night in many months.
My seven and eight year olds were pretty upset at the news, but my five year old danced around singing, "She's with Jesus!" In my heart I have that attitude too, but I sorely miss her.
Marhsa, to answer your question--yes, she was a Baptist. (But I think if I had been given a couple of more years with her, she might have been on the road to Rome!) The service was beautiful! I was pleasantly surprised with the minister. He has never really struck me as a very effective preacher, but he really did perform a beautiful funeral service.
It was funny at the funeral home, many older ladies, who had taught me in Sunday School came up and said, "I don't ever see you at church anymore." Then before I could respond they would add, "But with six services now we just can't see everyone." Of course the receiving line was not the place to get into a theological discussion so I smiled and nodded and greeted the next person in line. (Hmmm. Perhaps I should get into politics!)
Once again, thank you for your prayers; and I ask your prayers for my uncle, cousins, mom, and aunt who are coping with their loss.
Beth
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