Saints to Help the Sick and Dying / Msgr Edmond J Goebel

Msgr. Goebel's "Saints to help the Sick and the Dying" is a wonderful prayer book for any Catholic that takes his salvation seriously. The following is an excerpt: "Strange things happen in this life of ours. Stranger still are the happenings in the hours approaching the close of life. On a cold, stormy night, many years ago, a little boy delivered an anonymous letter to a local priest. It read, 'Dear Father, please go to this address (x) to see this old man who is sick. There is no hope of his recovery.' Within minutes, the priest was on his way to the sick bed. Upon his arrival at the dying man's bedside, the priest was greeted with anger by the old man. 'Who brought you here? I don't need a priest. I have lived for fifty-eight years without one and I don't need one now.' The priest refused to leave. He drew up a chair and told the stories of the prodigal son and good thief to try to soften the old man's hardened heart. After much effort, the priest managed to get the sick man to say the Hail Mary, and finally to make a good confession. After the priest had finished anointing him, the old man was curious. 'Father, after all these years, why has God given me this great grace?' For a moment, the priest seemed to have difficulty in answering him; then an inspiration came to him. 'Did you ever have any children?' 'Yes,' the old man replied, very close to tears, 'I had one boy, long years ago. He died when still just a youngster. How well I remember the day! He put his little arms around my neck and whispered: 'Daddy, I'm dying, pray for me! I'll pray for you too, always -- so you can be in Heaven with me some day.' 'And you may ask,' replied the priest, 'why God has given you this great grace? My dear friend, God has only answered the prayers of your little sainted son in heaven. You are going to him now!' And a few minutes later, the old man passed from this earth." 144 pages.