May 31, 2023
“God gave us family so that when we have a hard time praying for ourselves, we have others who will pray for us.”
– James Pott
While we pray for our deceased loved ones, never forget to ask them to pray for you, especially when you need help.
Our grief can be so overwhelming that we turn to friends, counselors, support groups and even strangers for support. But always remember to turn to the one you lost and ask for their prayers. It takes a special kind of faith, but never doubt that he or she is there, petitioning for you before the throne of God and watching over you in your darkest hour.
Frank’s immigrant grandmother Angelina, who was widowed at an early age and left alone to raise nine kids, would spend her afternoons praying the rosary to the Blessed Mother … and she would also ask her late husband Tony for help.
Frank always prayed to Jesus and Our Lady of Sorrows, St. Ann, St Therese of Lisieux and St. Frances Xavier Cabrini, and he also asked his deceased mother, his father and his grandmother for help. With a name like Angelina, which means “little angel,” he was sure she was up to the task. Very often, when the situation was desperate, he would appeal to his deceased family members and say, “It’s not easy down here! Give us a helping hand!”
The veil between Heaven and Earth is a thin one, and our deceased family members and friends are always praying for us. It will console you to ask them to intercede for you with God.
Like Jesus and Our Lady, they’re watching over us, directing us and praying for the graces we need during our desperate times. Only when we see them again in Heaven will we understand all they did for us during our earthly exile, and we’ll owe them a great debt of gratitude.
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Hold fast to the belief that your loved ones are still alive with God, so don’t hesitate to ask them for their help and for their prayers.