Listen to this note instead: https://morefrmoore.podbean.com/e/august-13-2026-pastors-note/
Solemnity of the Assumption
This Saturday is August 15th, the Solemnity of the Assumption of Mary into Heaven.
See this rule from the USCCB for why it is not a holy day of obligation this year.
See this article for why every Saturday evening Mass this weekend, except the Mass at the Church of the Assumption, will use the prayers for the 20th Sunday in Ordinary Time. (Yes, the Assumption Mass DOES count for your Sunday obligation!)
Hopefully, if a solemnity falls on a Saturday again in the future, I will have enough forethought to schedule at least one Saturday morning Mass in honor of the solemnity.
Two Deathbed Baptisms
I have performed two deathbed baptisms this month, giving me a front row seat to the incredible grace and power of God.
Story #1
The first was for a Lummi community member who was dying of liver failure. Most of the time when I visit dying people, their death is coming at the end of a long illness and they lack the strength for much of a conversation. At least a third of the time I am administering the Anointing of the Sick to people who are comatose or in a deep morphine sleep that I cannot wake them from. But certain deaths, including this man with liver failure, are surreal for me because the person seems to have all of their strength and vivacity even while we are discussing that they are certain to be dead within two weeks. There is a clarity and power to conversations about faith in these circumstances, and I need to stop being surprised when the Holy Spirit shows up.
Anyway, I had been called in to the hospital because (as is often true for Lummi folks) this man came from a Catholic family and everyone around him assumed he was Catholic. But I asked about his baptismal status before I provided the Anointing of the Sick and it turns out that he had never been baptized! So I told him that I would be happy to pray with him, but I could not provide any sacraments until he was baptized.
I further told him (to my shame, far more hesitatingly than I ought to have) that he could be baptized if he would like. And (to my great surprise) he was very open to the idea. However, this man struck me as having an impulsive and excitable personality and I wanted to make sure he understood what I was offering, so I suggested that he consult with an elder in his family about the idea of being baptized and that he call me again if the elder agreed it was the right thing for him.
To my even more incredible surprise and delight, the elder that he consulted was one of our most involved parishioners at St. Joachim who exuberantly recommended baptism. So I returned a few days later to Hospice House, where this man – fully lucid, though a little more tired – made a profession of faith and received all three sacraments of initiation. His joy was radiant; even with hardly any catechesis, I think he deeply understood the gift of eternal life through Jesus that he was being given that day. I celebrated his funeral nine days later.
Story #2
The second deathbed baptism was for the husband of a very involved and well-loved parishioner. This husband had an unforeseen health crisis and declined more quickly than anyone expected, so it was a less serene situation than Story #1, though equally as powerful.
Somehow, during the family goodbyes, while this man was still conscious but close to the end, a grandson asked if this man wanted to be baptized (likely not expecting a “yes”). Amazingly, the response was clear and affirmative head nods.
I came later that evening, though not before he had slipped into unconsciousness. The Rite of Emergency Baptism assumes that the person is able to make a profession of faith, so we had to rely on a godparent to make the responses (very much like at the baptism of an infant). To be a godparent, one must have received the sacrament of Confirmation, and the only person in the room that night who qualified was his wife! So godparent she was.
There is little doubt in my mind that this man chose to be baptized before he died because of the deep witness to faith of his wife. What a profound mystery it was that, by canonical necessity, it was his wife who had to answer the declarations of faith on behalf of her husband. I cannot imagine a more poignant image of the unseen power of faith in marriage, even and especially when one spouse does not practice religion. He died later that night.
Reflections
I have three reflections from this month of miracles.
First, four Gospel passages:
- The parable of the day laborers (Mt. 20:1-16) – can we recognize the extreme generosity of God, or do we find ourselves bitter because we have had to work at our faith for a longer time?
- The parable of the wedding banquet (Lk. 14:15-24) – do we take seriously the faith that we have been given, or are those who come at the last moment putting us to shame?
- The parable of the prodigal son (Lk. 15:11-32) – do we marvel that the Lord can forgive any sin at any hour?
- The salvation of the good thief (Lk. 23:33-43) – do we believe that, if we call out to the Lord, he will save us, even immediately before death?
Second, this is my favorite part about being a priest: I get to have a front row seat to the miraculous workings of the Lord. People tell me their stories of grace, finding the Lord in joys and sufferings, seeing true miracles in everyday life. I get to see Him work through sacraments and homilies and encounters of faith. I am certain that I do not know even 10% of the workings of the Lord amongst the people of Whatcom County, but I get to see enough of a representative sample that I know the Spirit is moving powerfully over these waters. These two deathbed baptisms are just the latest, and most dramatic, example of watching Jesus love the people of our parish.
Finally, I hope the salvation of these two men literally at the moment of death can inspire all of us – myself very much included – not to be shy about asking people if they want to be baptized. The worst that can happen is that they can say no and, perversely, resent you for asking. The best that can happen is that they can receive the promise of eternal life.
Fr. Moore 