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The Lord is kind and merciful. Slow to anger.
Always willing to forgive.
Even a life-long, habitual sinner may have a “golden” opportunity, near the end of life, to make a final, good faith effort at repentance, since old age, illness, or infirmity often make it impractical to persist in a sinful lifestyle.
The end of a relationship, or the imminent death of a life partner may provide the necessary “window of opportunity” for repentance and conversion.
And near the end, it really doesn’t matter whether the person who was “living in sin” is gay or straight, since pretty much the same rules apply to all.
Absolution for sin is typically available in these types of cases, through the Sacrament of Reconciliation, so long as all known sins are confessed, authentic contrition is present (even if based primarily on the fear of hell) and a firm purpose of amendment exists.
When a person is very near death, the old, thorny and difficult issues of repentance virtually fade into irrelevance, while the process of genuine reconciliation with God, takes on crucial and strategic importance.
In short, when death is very near, the Church makes it as easy as possible for us sinners (and yes, even hypocrites) to be finally and fully reconciled with God. Any Catholic priest will confirm this.
Virtually every family has someone in it who might “fall” into this category, so don’t pass up a last-minute opportunity to snatch an otherwise lost soul from Satan’s grasp. Make up your mind to become your loved ones best spiritual advocate … in these types of situations … even if it hurts!
God’s love, mercy, and forgiveness …
Don’t let your loved ones depart this existence without it!
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