Pope John Paul II gives his blessing as he appears at the window of his studio overlooking St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican, Wednesday, March 23, 2005. Looking gaunt, Pope John Paul II appeared at his studio window Wednesday and blessed faithful in St. Peter’s Square. In the approximately one-minute-long appearance, the ailing pontiff raised his hand in blessing a few times but didn’t speak. (AP Photo/Pier Paolo Cito) Photo: PIER PAOLO CITO Image and caption Source
Today our prayers turn to women who are dying. Over the years, I’ve seen a lot of people die in nursing homes and the hospital. It’s never easy and it’s never pretty. John Paul II in his final days on this earth gave us an example of dying with dignity. All to often, we just want to take people out of their misery. We want to end lives that are no longer useful to society. What we don’t understand, however, is that all life is sacred. All people have an inalienable dignity. Lives don’t have value based on what use we can get from them. They don’t have value based on how much pain or stress they cause. In dying, John Paul II offered the world his strongest statement on the infinite value of life.
“A person’s rightful due is to be treated as an object of love, not as an object for use.” ― Love and Responsibility
Lord, be with those who are dying today. Let them know your love in their final hours to face their final transition with courage and grace. Give them the comfort of knowing that they will be leaving this world to meet You. Be with their families and caregivers. Give them the patience and strength to support their dying loved one. Give them, too, the comfort of knowing that they are handing their loved one off to You, You who are trustworthy and worthy of all praise.
Let us conclude by praying the Litany to John Paul II:
Kyrie eleison,
Christe eleison,
Kyrie eleison,
Christ hear us, Christ graciously hear us
God the Father of heaven, have mercy on us
God the Son, Redeemer of the world, have mercy on us
God the Holy Spirit, have mercy on us
Holy Trinity, one God, have mercy on us
Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us
Blessed, John Paul II, pray for us
Perfect disciple of Christ, pray for us
Generously gifted with the gifts of the Holy Spirit, pray for us
Great apostle of Divine Mercy, pray for us
Faithful Son of Mary, pray for us
Totally dedicated to the Mother of God, pray for us
Persevering preacher of the Gospel, pray for us
Pilgrim Pope, pray for us
Pope of the Millennium, pray for us
Model of industry, pray for us
Model of priests, pray for us
Drawing strength from the Eucharist, pray for us
Untiring man of prayer, pray for us
Lover of the rosary, pray for us
Strength of those doubting their faith, pray for us
Desiring to unite all those who believe in Christ, pray for us
Converter of sinners, pray for us
Defender of the dignity of every person, pray for us
Defender of life from conception to natural death, pray for us
Praying for the gift of parenthood for the infertile, pray for us
Friend of children, pray for us
Leader of youth, pray for us
Intercessor of families, pray for us
Comforter of the suffering, pray for us
Manly bearing his pain, pray for us
Sower of divine joy, pray for us
Great intercessor for peace, pray for us
Pride of the Polish nation, pray for us
Brilliance of the Holy Church, pray for us
That we may be faithful imitators of Christ, pray for us
That we may be strong with the power of the Holy Spirit, pray for us
That we may have trust in the Mother of God, pray for us
That we may grow in our faith, hope, and charity, pray for us
That we may live in peace in our families, pray for us
That we may know how to forgive, pray for us
That we may know how to bear suffering, pray for us
That we may not succumb to the culture of death, pray for us
That we may not be afraid and courageously fight off various temptations, pray for us
That he would intercede for us the grace of a happy death, pray for us
Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world, spare us, O Lord
Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world, graciously hear us, O Lord
Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world, have mercy on us
Pray for us, Venerable Blessed John Paul II
That we may become worthy of the promises of Christ
We ask all of this in Jesus’ name, Amen.
To read more about John Paul II’s teachings regarding death, read:
An article about him titled “John Paul II: Dying with Dignity”
His Address to an International Conference on the Elderly
Last but not least, his encyclical Evangelium Vitae (Gospel of Life)
The True Dignity of Women 