Ministry to the Dying: The Lord's Prayer

Bishop Eric Menees

Dear friends, I pray you all had a truly joyful Gaudete Sunday earlier this week. Last week we continued our study of the Ministry to the Dying by looking at the litany. Today we finish our look at this section by examining the Lord’s Prayer and the prayers that follow it.

Lord, have mercy upon us. Christ, have mercy upon us. Lord, have mercy upon us. Officiant and People say together Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy Name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen. Officiant O Lord, show your mercy upon us; People As we put our trust in you.

These are prayers Anglicans should be familiar with, as we hear the Kyrie and the Lord’s Prayer at every Eucharist. They’re so applicable and we use them throughout our lives, but having them here gives them a more focused intention. Rather than asking God for mercy generally in our lives, this is about asking God to have mercy on this person dying. Rather than asking to be delivered from evil in a general sense, it’s asking God to deliver this person from all spiritual dangers as they die. It’s a good reminder of how applicable the Lord’s Prayer is in so many situations we face.

The Officiant prays Let us pray. O Sovereign Lord Christ, deliver your servant, N., from all evil, and set him free from every bond; that he may rest with all your saints in the eternal habitations; where with the Father and the Holy Spirit you live and reign, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. The Officiant may invite those present to offer words of thanksgiving, reconciliation, or farewell. The Officiant may conclude with words of comfort

This section of the closes with a beautiful prayer joining together the two most important things at this time, our prayers and desires for the person dying and the promises from God and hope we have as Christians. We can’t hope for anything more than what we’ve been promised, not only for the person dying but for ourselves as well. At the very end we have an important rubric, saying that people can offer thanksgiving, reconciliation, and farewells. This is incredibly important pastorally. It not only provides comfort to the person dying, to help unburden their conscience and give them peace, it also gives space for their loved ones to confront and accept this death for what it is. For the loved ones it’s not just a recognition of that death, these three things are ways God can bless them in such a difficult and often tragic situation. Next week we’ll continue the Bishop’s Note but we’ll take a break from discussing the Ministry to the Dying and we’ll look at Christmas instead. I pray you all have a blessed 4th Sunday of Advent!