Here is an example: “When a car accident took away the life of my mother, in that moment of grief, I was deeply consoled when I found out that a priest anointed her before she died. The knowledge of the saving power that flows from the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick and the subsequent Masses celebrated for the repose of her soul gave my family and me much peace. We knew that the Lord would grant her eternal rest and unite her with Him.”(K.C.) The Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick is normally administered to the living. However, even if the person has expired, the Priest should still be called to offer the Anointing of the Sick and conditional absolution, especially in the case of a sudden death by accident, for life is known to linger for a while in a healthy body thus traumatized, while it may leave a body instantly after a prolonged illness or in old age. Perhaps not realizing this, members of families are often reluctant to call for a Priest until there is certainty of death; and then, by the time a priest may be located, the patient may have passed away. It is at such times Nurses for Divine Mercy ought to back their medical care with short, “dart-like prayers,” sent in the direction of heaven for mercy on behalf of the patient, such as: Jesus, be merciful! or, Jesus, I trust in You! or, O Blood and Water, which gushed forth from the Heart of Jesus, as a fount of Mercy for us, I trust in You (187). As it may be too difficult at the moment for the family members to make such a move themselves, the nurses should offer to make the call for a Priest or a Minister, explaining that spiritual and even physical healings are the possible benefits. Should nurses need to remain with the patient, they should direct someone nearby to 66
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