Homily - 11 August 2024
Each week, often several times, Father Paul and I get called to the bed of someone who is dying, either at the hospital or at home. And each time, we pray an ancient prayer, known as the Profíscere. It goes like this:
Go forth, Christian soul, from this world
in the name of God the almighty Father,
who created you,
in the name of Jesus Christ, Son of the living God,
who suffered for you,
in the name of the Holy Spirit,
who was poured out upon you,
go forth, faithful Christian.
May you live in peace this day,
may your home be with God,
with Mary, the virgin Mother of God,
with Joseph, and all the angels and saints.
And then, if the person is able, we give them their last Communion, while praying:
May the Lord Jesus Christ protect you
and lead you to eternal life. Amen.
This last Communion is called Viaticum, or the Food for Journey home to the Supper of the Lamb.
Viaticum is intended to give the dying person the strength they need to make the journey home to God, recalling the words of the Lord Jesus, Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood
has eternal life, and I will raise him on the last day.
For unlike the food brought by the angel to Elijah, this Holy Communion is “the living bread” which is the Body and Blood of the Lord Jesus Christ, and whoever eats it will live forever.
I have always loved the story of the death of the Holy Bishop Saint Ambrose, a little over 1600 years ago. We are told that as Ambrose sensed he was dying, he opened his arms on the bed, in the form of a Cross. The deacon who stood beside his bed on that Holy Saturday Morning tells us that he saw his lips moving, but could not hear what he was saying.
So, they brought him viaticum, and soon after, he died. “His soul thus refreshed,” the deacon wrote, “he now enjoys the company of Angels.”
May his soul, and the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God rest in peace. Amen.
