The doctors told the hospital chaplain that our son would not live for long.
With tenderness, Monsignor offered to confirm our baby boy who laid sedated and intubated in the NICU crib. In offering to confirm our baby, Monsignor was offering to give our son every grace needed for our son to die a holy death. Through the holy Sacraments that Jesus Christ gave His Church, the hospital chaplain was helping us to usher our son to Heaven.
In today's Gospel, Jesus tells His disciples what to do for their evangelization trips (see Mark 6:7-13). Our Lord is specific in what they should and should not take, and what they should do and say. He prepares them for the journey but knows that they will be cared for when they arrive at their destinations.
So it is for us as we journey through life. God has given us the Church and Her Sacraments, and with them we have everything we require to bring us to Heaven. If we choose to accept His help, Our Lord provides every grace needed to die holy deaths at the end of holy lives so that we, too, may be warmly greeted when we arrive at our destination.
In 1 Kings 2:10, Scripture tells us, “David rested with his ancestors,” and that phrase brings such peace to my heart. Our son did not die, but nine years later I can still become teary eyed when I think about the way that the Church cared for my son and prepared him to rest in peace. In God’s perfect timing and through His grace may we all, some day, rest in His joyful peace in Heaven.
Read through an overview of the Sacraments in the Catechism and refresh yourself on what the Church teaches.
Bonnie Engstrom is a writer, baker, speaker, and homemaker. She lives with her husband and eight children in Illinois. Bonnie is the author of "61 Minutes to a Miracle" which tells the story of her son's miracle that was approved by Pope Francis for the beatification of Venerable Fulton Sheen. She likes to bake, putz about the yard, and tell her kids to tidy the house. She is the author of the Blessed Conversations Mystery: Believe study found here. You can find out more about her here.
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