St. Joseph, Patron of a Peaceful Death

It was in the seventeenth century, during the last violent outbreak of the plague in Europe, that St. Joseph became especially known as patron of the dying. Faced with the prospect of sudden death, many people urgently desired help for dying a good death.

I went with other members of my EFM group to say goodbye to Wendy, a member of our group, who is dying. She has been in the hospital for the past three weeks in a coma and in pain. The doctors and her husband feel that she will die in the next few days. That is why I googled a "peaceful death" and discovered that St. Joseph is the Patron of a Peaceful Death. And this is what I found:

Why is St. Joseph the Patron of a Happy Death. Why? Because he was the only person on earth given this privilege, or rather, reward by God to die in the arms of Jesus and Mary. Can you imagine dying in the very arms of Jesus and Mary? What a privilege for St. Joseph. Well, you know, St. Joseph was given by God this mission on earth to take care of the two most important treasures of God, namely, Jesus and Mary. He was the one to take care of Jesus and Mary. And so, as a reward, he was given the privilege to die in their arms in a happy and peaceful death. It is said that he died before Jesus and Mary, also as a privilege, because God wanted to spare him from the sufferings that Jesus and Mary suffered. It would be very, very difficult for him to see Jesus dying on the cross and to see Mary suffering at the foot of the cross. He had suffered so much on earth, and that was enough. He was exempted by God from the pains of that suffering.

Wendy's husband took us up to the meditation room at an upper level of the hospital, and we participated in a Compline Service from the Book of Common Prayer. He spoke with us about his wife, and we were blessed to be together to pray and support each other. He said it was a miracle that Wendy had lived to be one year old, let alone an adult who had married him twenty years ago. Afterwards, one at a time, we each went with him to say goodbye to Wendy in her ICU room. She looked very peaceful.

On a different floor of the ICU is the husband of JDH, a friend from the Friday Renovare Group that meets each week at my house. He has been there since Friday with an infection that has not been identified yet. He is not responding to treatment and is septic.

When I walked the labyrinth on New Year's Eve, I was dedicating the walk to Len, JDH's husband. While I journeyed the labyrinth, I found myself lifting up both Len and Wendy. God guided me to pray, and I am grateful.

Life is very fragile. Both these people suddenly went into the hospital with infections. Almost like--one day here, next day gone. With both Wendy and Len and their families, I sense reliance upon God. They are not asking, "WHY?" Instead, they are seeing WHO is with them. In the sadness and darkness, there is the Light of Love and gratitude. I am blessed to be among their friends.

Please lift Wendy and Len into the Light of God.