Litany for the Dying (for Fr. Charles Hageman) - 10 March 2016


(I am praying this today for my dear friend in Midland, TX, Fr. Charles Hageman)

LITANY FOR THE DYING.
O GOD the Father;
Have mercy upon the soul of thy servant. 
    O God the Son;
    Have mercy upon the soul of thy servant. 
    O God the Holy Ghost;
    Have mercy upon the soul of thy servant. 
    O holy Trinity, one God;
    Have mercy upon the soul of thy servant.
    From all evil, from all sin, from all tribulation;
    Good Lord, deliver him.
    By thy holy Incarnation, by thy Cross and Passion, by thy precious Death and Burial;
    Good Lord, deliver him.
    By thy glorious Resurrection and Ascension, and by the coming of the Holy Ghost;
    Good Lord, deliver him.
    We sinners do beseech thee to hear us, O Lord God; That it may please thee to deliver the soul of thy servant from the power of the evil one, and from eternal death;
    We beseech thee to hear us, good Lord. 
That it may please thee mercifully to pardon all his sins.
    We beseech thee to hear us, good Lord. 
    That it may please thee to grant him a place of refreshment and everlasting blessedness;
    We beseech thee to hear us, good Lord. 
That it may please thee to give him joy and gladness in thy kingdom, with thy saints in light;
    We beseech thee to hear us, good Lord.
    O Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world;
    Have mercy upon him.
    O Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world;
    Have mercy upon him. 
    O Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world;
    Grant him thy peace.
Lord, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.
OUR Father, who art in heaven, Hallowed be thy Name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, On earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, As we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, But deliver us from evil. Amen.

 Let us pray.
O SOVEREIGN Lord, who desirest not the death of a sinner; We beseech thee to loose the spirit of this thy servant from every bond, and set him free from all evil; that he may rest with all thy saints in the eternal habitations; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost, one God, world without end. Amen.

An Absolution to be said by the Priest.
THE Almighty and merciful Lord grant thee pardon and remission of all thy sins, and the grace and comfort of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

A Commendation.
DEPART, O Christian soul, out of this world,
  In the Name of God the Father Almighty who created thee.
    In the Name of Jesus Christ who redeemed thee.
    In the Name of the Holy Ghost who sanctifieth thee.
    May thy rest be this day in peace, and thy dwelling place in the Paradise of God.

 A Commendatory Prayer when the Soul is Departed.

INTO thy hands, O merciful Saviour, we commend the soul of thy servant, now departed from the body. Acknowledge, we humbly beseech thee, a sheep of thine own fold, a lamb of thine own flock, a sinner of thine own redeeming. Receive him into the arms of thy mercy, into the blessed rest of everlasting peace, and into the glorious company of the saints in light. Amen.

[Taken from the 1928 Book of Common Prayer.]

------
I first met Fr. Hageman when I moved to Midland, TX to pastor a Presbyterian church there. The congregation was renting the parish hall side of St. Paul Anglican Church (a 1928 BCP congregation), of which Fr. Charles was the rector. Fr. Charles and I quickly hit it off when we found out that we both had a Church of Christ background. Our friendship grew through the years. When his wife, Duvon, was dying I offered to come and pray with her, him and the family. As she closed in on her final days he called for me to do just that and I led Fr. Charles and the family through this Litany for the Dying. After she passed away he asked me to preach her funeral, which was an honor. Our friendship continued to deepen and fill out as the years unfolded. And even after I moved away from Midland 3 1/2 years ago we continued to talk by phone. His wit, humor, insights and stories always brought a smile to my face. Now my friend lies in a coma having had a serious stroke, and is in hospice care. I am saddened that I cannot be there to minister to him in his closing hours or days, but I am grateful that I can pray for him to the God who is there by his side, and the Savior who is prepared to receive him into his arms of mercy. To you who read this far, know that Fr. Charles was my friend for whom I cared deeply. He was a true disciple of Christ, a faithful husband, and a committed pastor of the flock the Holy Spirit had entrusted to him. Mike

Addendum: Fr. Charles passed away this evening (10 March 2016) at 7.23 PM.

Comments

Brunhilde Marie "Brunie" Hudson said…
A beautiful litany that I've had occasion to use. The Commendation is an easily remembered prayer at the death of any Christian. Can you say anything about the photo you chose to use with your post? May God comfort you as you face the temporal loss of a dear friend and faithful pastor.
March 10, 2016 at 7:27 PM
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