A word of thanks to all who respond to prayer requests

I started running prayer requests several years ago for a simple reason: I’m terrible at prayer.  I cleverly decided that since I’m so lousy at it, I would post the prayers I got from various folks in the hope and trust that *some*body out in my readership actually had charisms of intercession.  Result: tons more prayers have poured in.  I have sometimes wondered what has happened in response to them.  The other day, a reader wrote with his experience:

I just wanted to leave a note to say that your Prayer Requests work. I’d asked you to post one about two and a half years ago for my nephew, who’d been having seizures after birth; after you posted the Prayer Request, those seizures stopped and he’s been healthy and happy ever since.

I tend to be selfish, and I used to just skip over your Prayer Request posts, but since then I’ve made a point to “pay it forward” by always praying for what you ask in your posts.

Please know that these posts are a blessing, and I hope that the many of your readers who regularly pray with your requests know that they’re helping very much.

Thanks be to God through our Lord Jesus Christ for answered prayers.  And thanks to you guys for being so faithful in your prayers!

Speaking of which, a reader who had written for prayer for his dying brother now writes:

Damien died today. After we removed the life support, he passed peacefully in less than five minutes. My pastor had given him the Anointing of the Sick the day previous, which gave me a great deal of peace. (He wasn’t a practicing Catholic, but he had a loving heart and volunteered his time to help others in many ways.)

In accordance with his wishes, his organs are being donated to help others in need.

I wrapped my Brown Scapular around his wrist – I couldn’t put it around his neck because he was prepped for surgery – and told Our Lady that would have to be good enough. I also prayed the Divine Mercy Chaplet for him often in the last couple days.

When I saw him after the organs were removed, I was stunned at how peaceful his face looked. I’ve never seen him like that before, he’s always been so conflicted. I am convinced that your prayers and those of your readers helped him in his final agony.

Thank you.

May Damien’s soul and all the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Father grant Damien eternal life and give grace, peace, consolation, strength, faith, hope, and love to all who love him. Mother Mary, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death. We ask all this through Jesus Christ our Lord.