Last week I received the devastating news that a great friend of mine in England had died.
Not a Natural Death
After inquiring about the circumstances, I learned two days later that he had committed suicide. He shot himself the day after the second anniversary of his wife’s passing. Ever since a heart attack took her away from him, he had been grieving for her, and I guess that vivid memory of her death was too much for him.
I went from praying for his soul and offering daily Masses for him to a state of total misery at the thought of his soul having gone straight to the Devil instead of to God, and to be with his wife, as had clearly been his intention.
Was my Friend Damned?
I was at my wits’ end, but continued to pray the Chaplet of Divine Mercy for him, in the hopes that it wasn’t too late to ‘have it count.’ Finally, I emailed my parish priest, who responded immediately that I should continue to pray the Chaplet, and that he wanted to see me in person about the situation.
I write this post a very consoled person. Father gave me the information and tools to help my friend, which I would like to pass onto any of you who are, or who may be, in the same position as me.
The Catechism
Father directed me to the relevant passages in the Catechism.
I was unable to read my hard copy, since our bulldog ate it in a fit of pique when I had to leave town to visit my sick mother. My dead friend was as obsessive an animal lover as myself, and would be smiling at this :)
So I went online this morning and found what Father was talking about. Here are the comforting excerpts from the Catechism:
"Grave psychological disturbances, anguish, or grave fear of hardship, suffering, or torture can diminish the responsibility of the one committing suicide."
"We should not despair of the eternal salvation of persons who have taken their own lives. By ways known to him alone, God can provide the opportunity for salutary repentance. The Church prays for persons who have taken their own lives."
Father told me that my friend was probably in a diminished state of responsibility when he committed suicide.
Prayers for a Suicide
He repeated that I should continue to pray the Chaplet of Divine Mercy for my friend, and also the prayer of St Gertrude.
Here are links for both of them, including the background to these prayers.
The Divine Mercy Chaplet
This is taken from the above mentioned webpage:
Jesus said later to Sister Faustina:
"Say unceasingly this chaplet that I have taught you. Anyone who
says it will receive great Mercy at the hour of death. Priests will recommend it to sinners as the last hope. Even the most hardened sinner, if he recites this Chaplet even once, will receive grace from My Infinite Mercy. I want the whole world to know My Infinite Mercy. I want to give unimaginable graces to those who trust in My Mercy...."
"....When they say this Chaplet in the presence of the dying, I will stand between My Father and the dying person not as the just judge but as the Merciful Savior".
St Gertrude the Great
This is taken from the above mentioned webpage:
Our Lord told St. Gertrude that the following prayer would release 1000 souls from purgatory each time it is said. The prayer was extended to include living sinners as well.
"Eternal Father, I offer Thee the Most Precious Blood of Thy Divine Son, Jesus, in union with the Masses said throughout the world today, for all the Holy Souls in Purgatory, for sinners everywhere, for sinners in the universal church, those in my own home and within my family. Amen."
Further links for St Gertrude:
http://olrl.org/pray/stgertrude.shtml
http://www.catholictradition.org/Gertrude/sg-text1.htm#SOULS
If you know of any persons who’ve committed suicide, perhaps you could pray that they be forgiven for taking their lives, and that they be allowed to go home, to their eternal rest in God?
Not a Natural Death
After inquiring about the circumstances, I learned two days later that he had committed suicide. He shot himself the day after the second anniversary of his wife’s passing. Ever since a heart attack took her away from him, he had been grieving for her, and I guess that vivid memory of her death was too much for him.
I went from praying for his soul and offering daily Masses for him to a state of total misery at the thought of his soul having gone straight to the Devil instead of to God, and to be with his wife, as had clearly been his intention.
Was my Friend Damned?
I was at my wits’ end, but continued to pray the Chaplet of Divine Mercy for him, in the hopes that it wasn’t too late to ‘have it count.’ Finally, I emailed my parish priest, who responded immediately that I should continue to pray the Chaplet, and that he wanted to see me in person about the situation.
I write this post a very consoled person. Father gave me the information and tools to help my friend, which I would like to pass onto any of you who are, or who may be, in the same position as me.
The Catechism
Father directed me to the relevant passages in the Catechism.
I was unable to read my hard copy, since our bulldog ate it in a fit of pique when I had to leave town to visit my sick mother. My dead friend was as obsessive an animal lover as myself, and would be smiling at this :)
So I went online this morning and found what Father was talking about. Here are the comforting excerpts from the Catechism:
"Grave psychological disturbances, anguish, or grave fear of hardship, suffering, or torture can diminish the responsibility of the one committing suicide."
"We should not despair of the eternal salvation of persons who have taken their own lives. By ways known to him alone, God can provide the opportunity for salutary repentance. The Church prays for persons who have taken their own lives."
Father told me that my friend was probably in a diminished state of responsibility when he committed suicide.
Prayers for a Suicide
He repeated that I should continue to pray the Chaplet of Divine Mercy for my friend, and also the prayer of St Gertrude.
Here are links for both of them, including the background to these prayers.
The Divine Mercy Chaplet
This is taken from the above mentioned webpage:
Jesus said later to Sister Faustina:
"Say unceasingly this chaplet that I have taught you. Anyone who
says it will receive great Mercy at the hour of death. Priests will recommend it to sinners as the last hope. Even the most hardened sinner, if he recites this Chaplet even once, will receive grace from My Infinite Mercy. I want the whole world to know My Infinite Mercy. I want to give unimaginable graces to those who trust in My Mercy...."
"....When they say this Chaplet in the presence of the dying, I will stand between My Father and the dying person not as the just judge but as the Merciful Savior".
St Gertrude the Great
This is taken from the above mentioned webpage:
Our Lord told St. Gertrude that the following prayer would release 1000 souls from purgatory each time it is said. The prayer was extended to include living sinners as well.
"Eternal Father, I offer Thee the Most Precious Blood of Thy Divine Son, Jesus, in union with the Masses said throughout the world today, for all the Holy Souls in Purgatory, for sinners everywhere, for sinners in the universal church, those in my own home and within my family. Amen."
Further links for St Gertrude:
http://olrl.org/pray/stgertrude.shtml
http://www.catholictradition.org/Gertrude/sg-text1.htm#SOULS
If you know of any persons who’ve committed suicide, perhaps you could pray that they be forgiven for taking their lives, and that they be allowed to go home, to their eternal rest in God?
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