Why can't we pray for something that already happened?

[mdgspencer]

Here is one example of this. You hear (as I have) that a family member has already died without warning. Can we pray after the fact that they died well? What makes me wonder about this is the fact that God does not live in time as we do but is simultaneously present to all of time, like someone on a mountain seeing everything below at the same time. With this idea in mind, I have once in awhile prayed about what has already happened.
But is this a mistake? On the other hand, Catholics do not pray with this possibility in mind, do not pray for example that our grandparents lived a life of grace. I am sure others could think of other examples if this were possible.
I thought I would see what the people here have to say about this.

 

[His_little1]

Actually , I don’t see anything wrong with this (personally).

If you pray for someone who has died, even if that prayer were to go answered “differently” than you had expected, you have still carried out an act of mercy in praying for someone.

I think our loving Father appreciates those prayers too.

Also, I often encourage others, including my non-catholic friends to pray to Jesus in the garden when He was suffering before His death. I have always desired to be with Him at that moment, or in the desert or at the foot of the cross…or even in the tomb. Reflect on this next time you attend Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. Try to find quiet it your mind though. I tend to have trouble with that.

But back to the original point…Prayer after the fact can have other benefits. We could pray that a loved one didn’t suffer through death, but even if we find out that they did, we could be comforted by the Spirit that the Father embraced them quickly after and they were totally relieved of any pain or even rememberance of their suffering. That’s the faith that I cling to. Even in death, we have something so much greater to look forward to in the next life with God. The womb was the best deal we had going until birth. That is why we come into the world fighting and crying. Just imagine what the next step will be like.

 

[DATAMAN]

Try asking your creator tonight, OR ANY TIME…HE’S ALWAYS THERE
THIS IS A
TRANS-DIMENSIONAL UP-LINK TO THE CREATOR OF THE UNIVERSE

O CREATOR OF ME, If there is a way of life you most love out of all the ways of life, then guide me to it,let me understand it and act upon it with the greatest of ease.

Show me truth as truth and help towards that and show me falsehood as falsehood and help me to avoid that.

O CREATOR OF ME, WHEN YOU SHOW THE TRUTH LET ME SEE IT AND UNDERSTAND IT, LIKE I KNOW BLACK IS BLACK AND WHITE IS WHITE ,WITHOUT ANY CONFUSION
O Creator protect me from the EVIL around me.
HERE ASK FOR YOU NEEDS ETC…

 

[Monica4316]

I believe that we can pray the Divine Mercy chaplet or other prayers for those who have already died… cause God is outside of time, and maybe if we pray He’d give them the grace of final repentance or faith or whatever they need at the hour of death

but I’m not sure…it’s just a guess.

 

[PhilotheaZ]

You hear (as I have) that a family member has already died without warning. Can we pray after the fact that they died well?

Yes, absolutely. We can and we must.

What makes me wonder about this is the fact that God does not live in time as we do but is simultaneously present to all of time, like someone on a mountain seeing everything below at the same time. With this idea in mind, I have once in awhile prayed about what has already happened.

That’s exactly right.

On the other hand, Catholics do not pray with this possibility in mind, do not pray for example that our grandparents lived a life of grace.

Yes, Catholics do pray with this possibility in mind. I pray this way frequently. I have spent a good part of the last 2½ weeks praying for the repose of the soul of a woman who died after leading an objectively sinful life (I will leave the judgment of the state of her soul to God; He alone knows her heart, her motivations, her state of mind, whether she was fully aware of the sinfulness of her actions, etc.). And I have spent a good deal of time trying to explain to her 20-year-old daughter who is living with me that there is hope that her mother reconciled with God in the last moments of her life, and telling the daughter that her prayers NOW can help her mother, because God sees all of time in a single glance, and He knew before the mother’s death that we would be praying for her now.

 

[Jennifer_G]

I’ve read somewhere (here?) that Padre Pio used to pray for a relative’s deathbed conversion, even years after they’ve died.

 

[LilyM]

I’ve read somewhere (here?) that Padre Pio used to pray for a relative’s deathbed conversion, even years after they’ve died.

Heard that too - particularly in relation to his father.

 

[CB_Catholic]

I have a friend that has an internet prayer ministry. There are times when she gets a prayer request late, or is not able to send out the requests in a timely manner. She posts them anyway, knowing that God, being outside of time and space, will hear our prayers, even if they are late to us. He already knows what we are going to pray for.