Chapter XII. The Order of the Recommendation of a Soul That Is Just Departing

Q. What is the form or order of the recommendation of a soul to God in its last passage?

A, First, there is a short Litany recited, adapted to that occasion; then the following prayers.

Go forth, O Christian soul! from this world, in the name of God the Father Almighty, who created thee; in the name of Jesus Christ the Son of the living God, who suffered for thee; in the name of the Holy Ghost, who sanctified thee; in the name of the argels and the archangels; in the name of the thrones and dominations; in the name of the principalities and powers; in the name of the cherubims and seraphims; in the name of the patriarchs and prophets; in the name of the holy Apostles and Evangelists; in the name of the holy martyrs and confessors; in the name of the holy monks and hermits; in the name of the holy virgins, and of all the saints of God: let thy place be this day in peace, and thy abode in the holy Sion, Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

0 God most merciful! O God most clement! O God! who, according to the multitude of thy tender mercies, blottest out the sins of the penitent, and graciously remittest the guilt of their past offences; mercifully regard this thy servant N. and vouchsafe to hear him, who with the whole confession of his heart begs for the remission of all his sins. Kenew, O most merciful Father! whatever has been corrupted in him through human frailty, or violated through the deceit of the enemy; and associate him as a member of redemption to the unity of the body of the church. Have compassion, O Lord! on his sighs; have compassion on his tears, and admit him, who has no hope but in thy mercy, to the sacrament of thy reconciliation. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

1 recommend thee, dear brother, to the Almighty God, and commit thee to his care, whose creature thou art; that when thou shalt have paid the debt of all mankind by death, thou mayest return to thy Maker, who formed thee of the slime of the earth. When thy soul therefore shall depart from thy body, let the resplendent multitude of the angels meet thee; let the triumphant army of the martyrs, clad in their white robes, conduct thee: let the glorious company of illustrious confessors encompass thee: let the choir of joyful virgins receive thee: and mayest thou meet with a blessed repose in the bosom of the patriarchs: let Christ Jesus appear to thee with a mild and cheerful countenance, and order thee a place amongst those that are to stand before him for ever. Mayest thou never ktiow the horror of darkness, the gnashing in flames or racking torments. May the most wicked enemy, with all his evil spirits, be forced to give way: may he tremble at thy approach in the company of angels, and fly away into the vast chaos of eternal night. Let God arise, and his enemies be dispersed: and let them that hate him fly before his face: let them, like smoke, come to nothing, and as wax that melts before the fire, so let sinners perish in the sight of God, but may the just feast and rejoice in his sight. Let then all the legions of hell be confounded and put to shame, and may none of the ministers of satan dare to stop thee in thy way. May Christ deliver thee fro^) torments, who was crucified for thee. May Christ deliver thee from eternal death, who vouchsafed to die for thee. May Christ the Son of God place thee in the delightful garden of his Paradise, and may he, the true Shepherd, number thee amongst his sheep. May he absolve thee from all thy sins, and place thee at his right-hand in the lot of his elect. Mayest thou see thy Redeemer face to face, and standing always in his presence, behold with joyful eyes the most clear truth. Mayest thou be placed amongst the companies of the blessed, and enjoy the sweetness of the contemplation of thy God for ever. Amen.

Receive thy servant, O Lord! into the place of salvation, which he hopes for from thy mercy S, Amen.

Deliver, O Lord I the soul of thy servant from all the perils of hell, from pains and all tribulations. It, Amen.

Deliver, O Lord! the soul of thy servant, as thou deliveredest Enoch and Elias from the common death of the world. E. Amen.

Deliver, O Lord! the soul of thy servant, as thou deliveredest Noah from the flood. R. Amen.

Deliver, O Lord! the soul of thy servant, as thou deliveredest Abraham from Ur of the Chaldeans. R, Amen.

Deliver, O Lord! the soul of thy servant, as thou deliveredest Job from his sufferings. R. Amen.

Deliver, O Lord! the soul of thy servant, as thou deliveredest Isaac from being sacrificed by the hand of his father Abraham. R, Amen.

Deliver, O Lord! the soul of thy servant,- as thou deliveredest Lot from Sodom, and the flames of fire. R, Amen.

Deliver, O Lord! the soul of thy servant, as thou deliveredest Moses from the hands of Pharoah king of Egypt. R, Amen.

Deliver, O Lord! the soul of thy servant, as thou deliveredest Daniel from the lion's den. R. Amen.

Deliver, O Lord! the soul of thy servant, as thou deliveredest the three children from the fiery furnace, and from the hands of a wicked king. R, Amen.

Deliver, O Lord! the soul of thy servant, as thou deliveredest Susannah from her false accusers. R. Amen.

Deliver, O Lord! the soul of thy servant, as thou deliveredest David from the hands of king Saul, and from the hands of GoUah. R, Amen.

Deliver, O Lord! the soul of thy servant, as thou deliveredest Peter and Paul out of prison. R. Amen.

And as thou deliveredest the most blessed St. Thecla, virgin and martyr, from three most dreadful torments, so vouchsafe to deliver the soul of this thy servant, and make it rejoice with thee m the joys of heaven. R, Amen.

We commend to thee, O Lord! the soul of thy servant N, And we beseech thee, O Lord Jesus Christ! the Saviour of the world! that thou wouldst not refuse to admit into the bosom of thy patriarchs, a soul for which, in thy mercy, thou wast pleased to come down upon earth. Own him for thy creature, not made by any strange gods, but by thee the only living and true God; for there is no other God but thee, and none that can equal thy works. Let his soul rejoice in thy presence, and remember not his former iniquities and excesses, the unhappy effects of passion or evil concupiscence; for although he has sinned, he has not renounced the Father, or the Son, or the Holy Ghost; but believed, and had a zeal for God, and faithfully worshiped him who made all things.

Remember not, O Lord! we beseech thee, the sins of his youth, and his ignorance; but according to thy great mercy, be mindful of him in thy heavenly glory. May the heavens be opened to him, and may the angels rejoice with him. Receive, O Lord! thy servant into thy kingdom. Let St. Michael, the archangel of God, conduct him, who is the chief of the heavenly host. Let the holy angels of God come to meet him, and carry him to the city of the heavenly Jerusalem. May St. Peter the Apostle receive him, to whom God has given the keys of the kingdom of heaven. May St. Paul the Apostle assist him, who was a vessel of election. May St. John the chosen Apostle of God intercede for him, to whom were revealed the secrets of heaven. May all the holy Apostles pray for him, to whom our Lord gave the power of binding and loosing. May all the saints and elect of God intercede for him, who in this world suffered torments for the name of Christ; that he, being delivered from the bonds of the flesh, may deserve to be admitted into the glory of the kingdom of heaven: through the merits of our Lord Jesus Christ, who with the Father and the Holy Ghost liveth and reigneth for ever and ever. Anien.

After which, if the sick person still continue to labour in his agony, it may be proper, as the Ritual prescribes, to continue reciting other Psalms and prayers adapted to those circumstances.

Q. What is the meaning of the lighting of a blessed candle, and keeping it burning during a person^s agony?

-4. This light represents the light of faith in which a Christian dies, and the light of glory which he looks for. Besides, these candles are blessed by the Church, with a solemn prayer to God, to chase away the devils from those places where they shall be lighted.

Q. What is the form of blessing candles?

A. The Ritual prescribes the following prayer:

F. Our help is in the name of the Lord. i?. Who made heaven and earth. 15*

Let us pray.

O Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the living God!,. bless ^ by our prayers these candles; pour forth upon them by the virtue of the holy ►Ji cross thy heavenly benediction, who hast given them to ' mankind to chase away darkness; and may they receive such a blessing, by the sign of the holy 4< cross, that in what place soever they shall be lighted or set up, the rulers of darkness, with all their ministers, may depart, and trembling fly away from those dwellings; nor presume any more to disturb or molest those that serve thee the Almighty God, who livest and reignest for ever and. ever. Amen.

Q. What is the meaning of tolling the passing-bell when a person is expiring.

A, To admonish the faithful to pray for him, that God may grant him a happy passage.