My Friend Amy

As I just finished writing, my Easter was very nice. Almost immediately after my family left, I reinstalled Facebook and UberSocial on my phone to get caught up on what I had missed in the last week. Soon after, I saw quite a few posts from GSPN community members who were in prayer for our friend Amy. I replied to one of them asking if there had been update since I’ve been offline and I was upset to learn that there was a big change.

Amy has been suffering from Ulcerative Colitis for 20 years and has been diagnosed with cancer about a month ago. Originally they had thought that the cancer was on her ovaries, but in the process they learned it was much worse. She would have to go through chemo, but there was no cure for the form of cancer she had.

I was dismayed when I read on her Facebook page on Sunday night that her time on this earth would soon be over. Amy is dying because there is nothing they can do for her anymore to treat her disease.

Amy has been one of my greatest online friends and my heart breaks for her and her family. She is at peace with her diagnosis and with it being her time to go and asks that we keep her and her family and friends in prayer. I prayed a rosary for her that night and cried in prayer for her as I lay in bed. My friend Emmy sent me a Prayer for a Happy Death that I will pray in novena until Amy’s time finally comes. I posted on my podcast FB page to ask our listeners to pray for Amy because she has been a great supporter of our show and is a dear friend of mine.

Since she posted her latest update, I have checked her FB page daily. It is heartwarming to see the outpouring of love for Amy. Two other friends in the GSPN community have also posted wonderful blog posts about Amy. One is by Cliff and one is by Alison.

Even if you don’t know her, I invite you to pray/send positive thoughts to Amy and her family and friends. Here is what I’ll be praying (substituting her name or she/her for me):

Prayer for a Happy Death:
O my Creator and Father,
I beg of you the grace of final perseverance and a holy death
Despite the fact that I have greatly misused the life you have given me,
grant me the grace to live it well from this moment on and to end
to end it in your holy love.
Let me die as the holy patriarchs died,
leaving this valley of tears without sadness
to go and enjoy eternal rest in my true homeland.
Let me die as did glorious St. Joseph, accompanied by Jesus and Mary
pronouncing those sweetest of names,
and Whose company I hope to enjoy for all eternity.
Let me die as did the Immaculate Virgin
in the purest of love and with the desire of uniting myself to You — the only object of my love.
Jesus, having accepted death for me
grant me the grace of dying in an act of perfect love for You.
Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for me now and at the hour of my death
St. Joseph, Guardian and Protector of Jesus and Mary,
be with me in my last moments and protect me from the enemy.
Amen.