This information is provided to supplement Caring for Loved Ones at Life's End.
Scripture
Psalm33:20-22; Isaiah 41:10; Romans 8:18, 38-39; Romans 12:15; 2 Corinthians
4:16-17; Galations 6:2; Philippians 1:20-21; James 5:13-15
Catechism
of the Catholic Church
1004-1014, 1499-1525, 2276-2283
From the Popes
- Pope St. John Paul II. Apostolic Letter Salvifici doloris (On the Christian Meaning of Human Suffering). (Vatican City:
Libreria Editrice Vaticana, 1984). 28-30.
- Pope St. John Paul II. Encyclical Evangelium vitae (The Gospel of Life). (Vatican
City: Libreria Editrice Vaticana, 1995). 46-47 and 65.
- Pope Francis. Address to Participants in
the Plenary of the Pontifical Academy for Life. March 5, 2015. (Vatican City:
Libreria Editrice Vaticana, 2015).
- Pope Francis. Encyclical Amoris laetitia (The Joy of Love). (Vatican City: Libreria Editrice Vaticana, 2016). 48.
USCCB Resources
To Order: Call toll-free 866-582-0943, or fill out the order form, and send it to the address in the upper left corner of the form. (2017-18 Respect Life Catalog)
- Maggie's
Story: Living Like Dad
8-panel brochure. Item #1543. Spanish Item #1553. - Advance
Medical Directives: Planning for Your Future
8-panel brochure. Item #1446. Spanish Item #1456. - Caring
for Each Other, Even Unto Death
8-panel brochure. Item #1042. Spanish Item #1052. - To
Live Each Day with Dignity
www.usccb.org/ToLiveEachDay - To
Live Each Day with Dignity: A Statement on Physician-Assisted Suicide
15 pp. Item #1172. - Ethical
and Religious Directives for Catholic Health Care Services
Booklet. 40 pages. Item #0970. - John
Paul II: Dying with Dignity
4 pp. Item #0542.
Related Saints
- Our
Lady of Lourdes: Patron saint of bodily ills. St. John
Paul II celebrated the first World Day of
the Sick, declaring that it would be celebrated each year on the feast of
Our Lady of Lourdes. In the Litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary, one of the
titles by which Our Lady is referred to is "Comfort of the afflicted."
- St. Joseph, Husband of Mary: Patron saint of a happy, holy death. Those who are dying have been entrusted to St. Joseph, "since pious tradition holds that he was assisted by Mary and Jesus in his last agony."1
Real People, Real Life:
In "Maggie's Story: Living Like Dad," Maggie reflected upon accompanying her father in his final days as she faced her own terminal illness years later.
- "Watching anyone suffer, especially a
loved one, is one of the hardest human experiences. … Looking
back, I'm convinced that walking through those moments with Dad made both of us
different and better people. God loved us enough to allow those moments—even
and especially moments of suffering—in order to teach us lessons which helped
us to grow spiritually and emotionally. Dad left a legacy. He taught me how to
live and die with faith and with dignity marked by patience and grace. He
taught me that dignity can't be diminished by pain or loss of personal control.
Regardless of our circumstances and whether people acknowledge it, nothing and
no one can take away our God-given dignity."2
- "At first it was awkward trying to converse
with a father I only knew as 'Dad,' the guy who loaned me the car keys in high
school and made sure I could balance my checkbook in college. But eventually,
the conversation turned to life's more significant topics. This was new, but
refreshing, and it soon became a time that our family cherished. I learned more
about my dad in those last five months than I had ever known. At one point he
even remarked how great it was to have the time to just talk together." 3
Did You Know?
- The worst suffering of seriously ill
people "is often not physical pain, which can be alleviated with competent
medical care, but feelings of isolation and hopelessness."4
- "Hospice care focuses on alleviating pain
and other symptoms, meeting basic needs, and providing comfort."5
Intercessions
For
those nearing the end of life:
May
God strengthen their faith and
give
them comfort and hope
through
the gentle compassion of their caregivers;
We pray to the Lord:
For
those diagnosed with a terminal illness:
May
each hour of their lives be cherished
with
care that honors God's gift of life;
We pray to the Lord:
Related
Works of Mercy (Spiritual / Corporal)
- Visit the sick.
- Feed the hungry.
- Give drink to the thirsty.
- Counsel the doubtful.
- Instruct the ignorant.
- Comfort the sorrowful.
- Forgive injuries.
- Pray for the living and the dead.
1 Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, "Directory on Popular Piety and the Liturgy: Principles and Guidelines", The Holy See, www.vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/ccdds/documents/rc_con_ccdds_doc_20020513_vers-direttorio_en.html (accessed June 10, 2016)1
2 USCCB
Secretariat of Pro-Life Activities, Maggie's
Story: Living Like Dad (Washington, DC: United States Conference of
Catholic Bishops, 2015).
3 USCCB
Secretariat of Pro-Life Activities, Maggie's
Story: Living Like Dad (Washington, DC: United States Conference of
Catholic Bishops, 2015).
4 USCCB, To Live Each Day with Dignity: A
Statement on Physician-Assisted Suicide (Washington, DC: United States
Conference of Catholic Bishop, 2011).
5 USCCB
Secretariat of Pro-Life Activities, Caring
for Loved Ones at Life's End (Washington, DC: United States Conference of
Catholic Bishops, 2016).