Remembering Joe

Today is August 6th, my brother Joe`s birthday. He died three years ago, on June 14, of cancer. He had two weeks from his diagnosis to prepare for his death, because he died exactly two weeks after receiving the news. I can still picture him sitting on his hospital bed, his head in his hands, telling me he was never going to leave the hospital. His words are forever etched in my memory. He looked up at me and said, "So I am going to die." I remember telling Joe that it was a great grace from God to be given notice that one was about to die, so that moral preparations could be made. I reminded him that God could have taken his life at any time, but chose to give him this most wondrous grace of preparing for a holy death.

And that is just what my brother did. His rosary never left his hands, and I got him a pass from the hospital so that he could go to his Latin Mass. His perseverance amazed me there, as he knelt on the hard floor throught the entire Mass. I can't imagine what it must have cost him, as he was weak and in pain, but he never let on he was suffering. When he went up to receive Holy Communion, he came back with tears in his eyes. They were tears of joy at being given so great a gift as to receive Jesus one more time.

Two days before Joe died, he made an act of consecration to the Blessed Virgin. He didn't use a formal prayer; rather the words he chose came from his heart. I wish I could remember what he said, but it was how he said it that I will never forget. Joe's words to the Blessed Virgin were spoken with undeniable love - Shirley and I sat there and listened with tears in our eyes. It was the most beautiful prayer I have ever heard anyone say. The next day, he became weaker and slept most of the time. The following day, he died with two of my sisters praying at his bedside, and yes, he had his rosary in his hands.

Today would have been my brother's birthday

O gentlest Heart of Jesus, ever present in the Blessed Sacrament, ever consumed with burning love for the poor captive souls in Purgatory, have mercy on the soul of your departed servant, Joe.
Be not severe in your judgment, but let some drops of Your Precious Blood fall upon him, and send, O merciful Savior, Your angels to conduct him to a place of refreshment, light and peace. Amen.

The Power of Sacramentals

In the summer of 2003, four men, (two of whom I know) were sitting in the forest after a hard day's work logging. They cracked open some beer, and kicked back to relax and enjoy themselves. The sun was very hot, so they had all removed their shirts. One of the older men was wearing a brown scapular with a miraculous medal attached to it, and it drew the interest of a younger man.

The young man was curious, and asked if he could try it on. He was told that it was a sacramental of the Church, that it was a visible sign of the blessing and intercession of the Church, and that by this use, the benediction of Almighty God is invoked on persons who wear it. He instructed his friend that Our Lord had sanctioned the use of sacramentals when He blessed the loaves and fishes, the young children, and the Apostles before the Ascension.

Now, the young man was really interested, and again asked if he could try it on. He placed the brown scapular and miraculous medal around his neck, and within a few minutes, he broke out into a sweat. His heart started pounding, and he began clawing at his chest, grabbing wildly at the scapular and screaming that it was burning him and for the others to get it off of him.

The scapular and medal were removed from him, and the young man told the others that he had sold his soul to the devil, and he was convinced the devil was attacking him while wearing the scapular.

My brother told me this story. He was there that day. He was the older man who owned the scapular and medal, and the one who placed it on the younger man's chest.

Prayers and Purgatory

I remember when my brother was dying from cancer last June, and I took him to what would be his last Mass. I picked him up from the hospital, and helped him get dressed into his best clothes. Since he was affiliated with the SSPX, that was the Mass we went to. As sick as he was, he knelt throughout the whole Mass, never once choosing to sit, even though it was very painful for him to kneel. During Holy Communion, he had tears in his eyes, and I know it was because he was overwhelmed at the reality of being able to receive Jesus; to be surrounded by His heavenly presence as angels sang His praises.

Later, when we got back to the hospital, he was extremely exhausted, and he sat on the edge of his bed with his head in his hands. He said to me,"So I'm dying." I said yes, and told him it was a great grace from God to know that he was dying, and thus he would be able to prepare for his death spiritually. He told me that he wasn't afraid to die, but he said he was afraid of purgatory. He was well schooled in Catholicism, and he knew that the punishments of purgatory are much worse than anything we can possibly suffer here on earth. I assured him that our family would have Gregorian Masses said for his soul, and we did.

It was then that I formed the habit of praying for the Holy Souls at the end of every Rosary decade. Right after the Fatima prayer, I pray the Eternal Rest prayer for my brother's soul, and for those in purgatory. This way I am praying for the holy souls many times in a day. We all have a duty to pray for the suffering souls, and it is a spiritual work of mercy to do so. I pray specifically for family members, for those I knew in my lifetime, for those who are most forgotten in the deepest depths of purgatory, for those who are closest to entering heaven, and for those who may be suffering the torments of Purgatory because of things that I have done or caused them to do.

Requiescat in pace

Thank you to everyone who prayed for my brother Joe while he was ill these last two weeks. He died Thursday, June 14 in hospice in Edmonton with family around him, praying for him. He received extreme unction a few days ago from his traditional priest, and made a most beautiful and heartfelt act of consecration to the Blessed Virgin, placing himself in her hands and asking for her intercession. He was very grateful for the family presence and support, and continually thanked us for being there and for praying for him. I believe he died in the grace of God.

Psalm 23

The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.
He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.

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