Posts Tagged ‘end of life prayers’

 

Removing Life Support

Posted on: June 27th, 2023 by Alden

A difficult prayer for a difficult moment. In classic Jewish tradition, this prayer includes a request for forgiveness from the one who is near death by those who made the decision to remove life support. It is brief, by design, so as not to prolong the moment for anyone.

Removing Life Support
G-d of compassion,
With sorrow,
With love,
With hope defeated,
I/We say a last goodbye
To my/our _______________ (relationship)
Whom we cherished in life,
And whom we will mourn in death.

Grant him/her/them a perfect rest
Under Your canopy of peace
As medical professionals
Will soon remove life support.

O grievous moment,
O grievous hour,
Beloved _____________ (name or relationship)
Forgive me/us any wrongs
I/we may have done to you in this life,
And forgive me/us this last act of compassion,
Allowing your life and your suffering to end.

G-d of mercy,
May You grant hope in our days
And peace in our years.
As we mourn,
Accept this soul
To You
With love.

© 2023 Alden Solovy and ToBendLight

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Postscript: Thanks to my friend Rabbi Paul Kipnes for suggesting this piece.

Please check out These Words: Poetic Midrash on the Language of Torah and my other CCAR Press volumes: This Grateful Heart, This Joyous Soul, and This Precious Life, which can also be purchased as the Grateful/Joyous/Precious trilogy. For reprint permissions and usage guidelines, see “Share the Prayer!” To receive my latest prayers via email, please subscribe (on the home page). You can also connect on Facebook and Twitter. For a taste of my teaching, see my ELItalk video, “Falling in Love with Prayer.”

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On the Day of My Death

Posted on: December 23rd, 2017 by Alden

In recent weeks, several individuals have asked for prayers for the experience dying. This is one of two new prayers in response to those requests. It’s really a love song, which is what I hope to remember in the end: the beautiful, perhaps fleeting love that sustains and blesses.

On the Day of My Death
What will I pray for
On the day of my death?
For you, dear ones, for you…

May your heart sing
And your eyes smile.
May your griefs vanish,
And your joys soar.
Let blessings light your way,
And beauty guide your journey.
Let hope carry your days,
And wisdom lift your life.

As for me,
My journey has ended.
To those I’ve harmed, I’m sorry.
To you who’ve loved me, thank you.
To all I’ve met, bless you.
To the Source of Being,
Let me return to You in peace.

© 2017 Alden Solovy and tobendlight.com. All rights reserved.

Postscript: Related prayers include: “Gather Me,” “Angel of Rest,” “Remember,” “Near the End: A Meditation” and “Things Break.”

Please check out my ELItalk video, “Falling in Love with Prayer,” and This Grateful Heart: Psalms and Prayers for a New Day. For reprint permissions and usage guidelines and reprint permissions, see “Share the Prayer!” To receive my latest prayers via email, please subscribe (on the home page). You can also connect on Facebook and Twitter.

Photo Source: Ouachita National Forest

On Removing a Child’s Life Support (Clergy Version)

Posted on: June 17th, 2013 by tobendlight

Baby on Life SupportThis is the clergy version of prayer written for a moment beyond imagination. It’s an adaption of “On Removing a Child’s Life Support.” The prayer is divided into two parts: a meditation before the removal of life support and a brief prayer after the child passes on. This revision includes sections for both clergy and parents. The original prayer was written at the request of Rabbi Stephanie Covitz, resident chaplain at an Ohio children’s hospital. She was asked to assist a family at that difficult moment. May all who face these choices find consolation and renewal.

On Removing a Child’s Life Support (Clergy Version)

Before the Removal

Clergy:
What is healing?
And what is kindness?
What is mercy?
And what is grace?
What is love?
And what is compassion?

Soul of the Universe,
You are our beginning
And you are our ending.
When ______________________ (name of parent/parents/guardian)
Dreamed of becoming [a father/a mother/parents/modify as appropriate]
He /She/They never expected to face the death of a child,
Still only [a baby/child/youth /teen/in (his/her prime)],
To remove life support,
And, in days to come, to bury him/her.
You have challenged them to make painful choices,
Unimaginable choices,
And yet, G-d of Ages, benevolent and holy choices.

Parents:
We do this in the name of healing.
And we do this in the name of kindness.
We do this in the name of mercy.
And we do this in the name of grace.
We do this in the name of love.
And we do this in the name of compassion.
We do this from the depths our despair
Praying to find a path back to wholeness and life renewed.

Clergy:
G-d of Old, we ask for Your blessing, for Your Shelter and for Your Peace.

After Passing

Clergy:
Author of Life,
Source and Creator,
Grant a perfect rest under your tabernacle of peace to
______________________ (name of the child in Hebrew or your native tongue),
Whose life has ended too soon.
Bless this family with
Faith to mourn,
Courage to heal,
Strength to rebuild,
And devotion to each other.
May the memory ___________ (first name)
Be sanctified with joy and love.
May his/her soul be bound up in the bond of life,
A source of blessing in our midst.

© 2013 Alden Solovy and www.tobendlight.com. All rights reserved.

Postscript: Here’s a “Meditation on the Burial of a Young Child.” See also “On Removing a Child’s Life Support,” “For the Bereaved” and “For Bereaved Children.” Thanks to Rabbi Covitz for using some of my work in her Rabbinic thesis. I am touched that she has turned to me for assistance on several occasions.

Please consider making a contribution to support this site and my writing. For usage guidelines and reprint permissions, see “Share the Prayer!” For notices of new prayers, please subscribe. You can also connect on Facebook and Twitter.

Photo Credit: The Sunday Times

Vayechi 5773: Near the End, A Meditation

Posted on: December 28th, 2012 by tobendlight

And Jacob lived in the land of Egypt seventeen years; so the days of Jacob, the years of his life, were a hundred forty and seven years. And the time drew near that Israel must die…
– Genesis 47:28-29

Here’s a meditation on the journey home. Listen along by clicking on the triangle in the bar below. The text follows. This prayer appears in my book, Jewish Prayers of Hope and Healing.

 

Near the End: A Meditation
When my days fade,
When my eyes dim,
When darkness settles,
And the veil is lifted,
Remove my fear
My doubt,
My shame.
Remove my hesitation and longings,
So I may go gracefully into
The unknown,
The unknowable,
The secret tomorrow of my soul.

Ancient One,
Foundation and Shelter,
Companion and Guide,
Cradle of life,
Guardian of spirit,
I confess my weaknesses and mistakes,
My errors of judgment and
My lapses of conscience,
So that I may return to You in joyous surrender.

Source of my life
Holy and exalted
You have called me to service on this earth.
You will call me back to You
As You call all Your children
To return from this life,
This journey,
This place of sea and sky,
Of happiness and heartbreak.
Let me go in peace.
Let me go in peace.

© 2011 Alden Solovy and tobendlight.com. All rights reserved.

Postscript: Here are other prayers about transitions and transformations: “Leaving,” “River” “Rhythms” and “Transitions.” For an annotated list of Memorial and Yizkor prayers, click here. This prayer was first posted on February 20, 2011.

Please consider making a contribution to support this site and my writing. For usage guidelines and reprint permissions, see “Share the Prayer!” For notices of new prayers, please subscribe. You can also connect on Facebook and Twitter.

Photo Credit: WikiMedia Commons

On Removing a Child’s Life Support

Posted on: December 26th, 2012 by tobendlight

baby-teardropThis is a difficult prayer for a difficult moment. A private moment. A moment no one should have to face. It’s for use by parents when removing the life support of a child. It is divided into two parts: a meditation before the removal of life support and a brief prayer after the child passes on. I wrote this at the request of Rabbi Stephanie Covitz, resident chaplain at a children’s hospital in Ohio, who recently participated in such a moment. May the family, and all who face these unthinkable choices, find consolation and healing. In the weeks ahead, I will also post an adaptation of this prayer for use by clergy. This prayer will appear in my forthcoming book, Jewish Prayers of Hope and Healing.

On Removing a Child’s Life Support
Before the Removal

Soul of the Universe,
When I/we dreamed of becoming [a father / a mother / parents]
I (we) never expected to face the death of my/our son/daughter,
Still only [a baby / child / youth / teen / in his/her prime],
Or to remove life support,
And, in days to come, to bury him/her.
You have challenged me/us to make painful choices,
Unimaginable choices,
And yet, G-d of Ages, benevolent and holy choices.

I/We do this in the name of healing.
And I/we do this in the name of kindness.

I/We do this in the name of mercy.
And I/we do this in the name of grace.

I/We do this in the name of love.
I/we do this in the name of compassion.

I/We do this from the depths our despair
Praying to find a path back to wholeness and life renewed.

After Passing
Author of Life,
Source and Creator,
Grant a perfect rest under your tabernacle of peace to
______________________ (name of the child in Hebrew or your native tongue),
My child,
Whose life has ended too soon.
May the memory of my/our son/daughter be sanctified with joy and love.
May his / her soul be bound up in the bond of life,
A source of blessing in our midst.

© 2012 Alden Solovy and www.tobendlight.com. All rights reserved.

Postscript: Here’s a “Meditation on the Burial of a Young Child.” See also “For the Bereaved” and “For Bereaved Children.” I’m honored that Rabbi Covitz used some of my work in her Rabbinic thesis and has turned to me for assistance on several occasions.

If you finding meaning in this prayer, please click “like” on this page and subscribe. Please take a moment to post a link to your Facebook page, your blog or mention it in a tweet. Thanks. For usage guidelines and reprint permissions, see “Share the Prayer!

Photo Credit: Raji Saran on Pictures Collections

Hospice Prayers

Posted on: November 16th, 2011 by tobendlight

hospice-handsMy family now has three cousins in hospice care, at various stages of disease. Thank you to all the professionals and volunteers who make hospice work. This prayer is to be said by someone entering hospice. A second version of this prayer – one to be said on behalf of an individual who enters hospice treatment – follows below. Also find links to healing prayers and meditations on dying at the end of this post.

Upon Entering Hospice
(To be recited by a person entering hospice care.)

G-d of All Being,
The well of cures has run dry.
My physicians have been focused,
My caregivers diligent,
My family tireless
In their efforts to help me battle this disease.
The horizon of my life nears.
There is a single destination.

Ancient One,
G-d of our mothers,
G-d of our fathers,
I surrender my days to You,
As I must,
With the hopes of a dignified death,
A loving death
An easy death.
I make this choice for my own sake,
For the sake of my family and friends,
And for the sake of honoring the life You have given me.

Bless those around me with courage and strength,
Just as I ask You, Holy One,
To grant me the wisdom and ability
To show them my steadfast love,
An inheritance for the generations.

Whatever remains,
The journey hasn’t ended.
Ease my pain.
Reduce my suffering.
And bless me, G-d of my heart,
With days of joy,
With fullness of spirit
With moments of awe and wonder.

Upon Entering Hospice II
(To be recited on behalf of a person entering hospice care.)

G-d of All Being,
The well of cures has run dry.
The physicians have been focused,
The caregivers diligent,
The family tireless
In their efforts to help
My [father / mother / sister / brother / son / daughter / friend /husband / wife / partner]
Battle this disease.
The horizon of his/her life nears.
There is a single destination.

Ancient One,
G-d of our mothers,
G-d of our fathers,
Look with kindness and favor on _________________________ (insert name)
As he/she surrenders his/her days to You.

Bless us with courage and strength,
Just as I ask You, Holy One,
To grant me the wisdom and ability
To show him/her my steadfast love,
An inheritance for the generations.

Whatever remains,
The journey hasn’t ended.
Ease his/her pain.
Reduce his/her suffering.
And bless him/her with a dignified death,
A loving death
An easy death.

© 2011 Alden Solovy and tobendlight.com. All rights reserved.

Postscript: Here are three meditations on the end of life:

  • Near the End: A Meditation – A meditation on preparing for the journey of my own death with grace and dignity, awe and wonder.
  • Remember – Whatever our fears, this is a call back to our deepest sense of peace and well-being.
  • Things Break – We face the flow of endings and beginnings. G-d’s love remains.

Click this link for a list of healing prayers.

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Photo Source: Here Women Talk

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