Written by Bl. John Henry Newman, it asks God for a death surrounded by the loving arms of God.Whether we like to admit it or not, we will die some day. None of us knows the day nor the hour when God will call us home, and sometimes that truth can give us anxiety.
This is why it is important to give ourselves to God, trusting in his merciful plan for us. When we do so, we can live with a firm trust that God will not abandon us on our deathbed, and will surround us with his loving arms in our time of greatest need.
Here is a prayer composed by Bl. John Henry Newman that reflects this desire for a peaceful death, giving us comfort and hope that death will no longer have a “sting,” but will facilitate a beautiful transition from this world to the next.
O my Lord and Savior,
support me in my last hour by the strong arms of Thy sacraments,
and the fragrance of Thy consolations.
Let Thy absolving words be said over me,
and the holy oil sign and seal me;
and let Your own Body be my food,
and Thy Blood my sprinkling;
and let Thy Mother Mary come to me,
and my angel whisper peace to me,
and Thy glorious saints and my own dear patrons smile on me,
that in and through them all
I may die as I desire to live,
in Thy Church,
in Thy faith,
and in Thy love.Amen.
My Jesus, mercy.
Read more:
This Litany for a Happy Death will make your soul long for Heaven
Read more:
4 Saintly prayers for a happy death