Christian Death

A November Reflection
By Fr. Frederick Edlefsen

“Go forth, Christian soul, from this world in the name of God the almighty
Father, who created you, in the name of Jesus Christ, Son of the living God, who
suffered for you, in the name of the Holy Spirit, who was poured out upon you, go
forth, faithful Christian. May you live in peace this day, may your home be with
God in Zion, with Mary, the virgin Mother of God, with Joseph, and all the angels
and saints.”   (Prayer in the rite of “Commendation for the Dying”)

Death not the last word. We need not resent it. It is a mystical moment for the
dying person as well as for loved ones. Christ turned death into a blessed paradox:
death conquers death.

Keeping vigil with a dying person, and witnessing their death, is a privilege. It is an
act of love to be attentive to the ambiguous gestures and utterances of a dying
person, even if we don’t understand them. Saying a rosary, the Litany of Saints, or
other prayers consoles the dying.

Dying can be painful. For some, the mind seems neither lucid nor penitent, but more
like hallucinating. To be sure, this is not an indication of anything unholy. The
graces that God gives a dying person are rarely apparent. We should accept these
difficulties as providential, as we comfort the dying person with our prayers and
presence.

If the dying person is Catholic, call a priest in advance to administer the Last Rites.
It is best not to wait until the last minute. Last Rites consist of Absolution and
Apostolic Pardon, Anointing of the Sick, and last Holy Communion (if the person can
receive at least a fragment of the host). Once the Last Rites are given, let go. Make a
cross on the dying person’s forehead, and let Christ accompany them through
death’s tunnel into God’s Light.

When death comes at God’s bidding, it is both a relief and a grief. This disconsolate
paradox need not be met with faltering attempts to say pious words. To grieving
loved ones, it’s best to say little or nothing – except to pray.

Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them.