Divine Mercy was his comfort
I vividly remember him as I used to go to his ward to celebrate the Mass. His partner was with him supporting him all the time, day and night.
It was not a joke what he was going through. The illness really left its horrible consequences on him. However his faith grew and grew. When he could he was always among the first to attend the Eucharistic celebration. His devotion reception of the Holy Eucharist and the way he prayed were of great inspiration to me. When I used to go and visit him he would always welcome me with that special invective smile.
Unfortunately his health started deteriorating quickly. From the ward on level one he finished at Palliative Care. It was impossible to miss him. His room was the very first one on the left. This time, since his health serious deteriorated, I could only bless him with the Blessed Sacrament. He was not able to eat and drink anything.
When I saw the terrible situation he was in I suggested to his partner if we could celebrate the Eucharist by his bedside. She wisely told me: Father, I don’t think if he could make it till tomorrow. And she was perfectly right. In fact, after two hours, I was paged and was requested to administer to him the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick.
As I arrived in his room his two boys were there, sitting on the chair, waiting for me to pray. When I saw them I felt Jesus calling me, deep within me: Pray the Chaplet of the Divine Mercy so that I win the hearts of these two young men. After I finished the administration of the Sacrament of the Sick I invited them to pray the Chaplet with me. I immediately handed them two Divine Mercy Chaplet cards and, slowly slowly, they devoutly prayed with me this powerful prayer. How thankful they were that now they had this chaplet to pray with. In fact, they felt that they were going to pray it daily for the rest of their lives because they were truly convinced that this was Jesus’ personal gift to them through their lovely dad.
The once restless man died in peace five hours later. At that moment came into my heart and soul Jesus’ most reassuring words: At the hour of their death, I defend as My own glory every soul that will say this chaplet; or when others say it for a dying person, the indulgence is the same. When this chaplet is said by the bedside of a dying person, God’s anger is placated, unfathomable mercy envelops the soul, and the very depths of My tender mercy are moved for the sake of the sorrowful Passion of My Son (Diary, 811).
Adding this to my reflection I could easily deduce that the Chaplet of the Divine Mercy was this man’s eternal comfort and peace. A good reason for me to keep propagate it, by Jesus’ grace, to everyone I meet on my life’s path.
Fr Mario Attard OFM Cap
