32nd Sunday - Near Death Experiences

  

Doesn’t it make you wonder what is going on with the ten virgins (the bridesmaids) and why did they have lamps?

In Jewish tradition, when the groom went to the bride’s house to pick her up for the wedding, he would negotiate with her relatives the gifts he would give to her parents for the privilege of being able to marry her. The negotiating went on so long, that the bridesmaids back at the groom’s house, grew so tired of waiting that they fell asleep. When the bride and groom arrived in the groom’s house the parents pronounced a blessing over the happy couple and the singing and dancing lasted for a week.

The bridesmaids in the parable were given an opportunity to be ready for the wedding in the groom’s house later that evening. But five of them did not bring enough oil. They had an opportunity during the day to get a supply of it, but they didn’t bother. Then when the couple arrived for the wedding it was too late, and those who had oil had only enough for themselves and were unable to share it.

This parable reminds us that we make choices as we go through life, and afterwards we live with the consequences of those choices. Some of the bridesmaids in the parable squandered the opportunity during the day to get oil. Like them, we have choices and decisions. We want to choose well because we pass this way only once.

When Jesus calls us from this life whenever that will be, we will face consequences of all our decisions. “So stay awake because you do not know either the day or the hour.”

The book The Imitation of Christ, says, “Every action of yours, every thought, should be those of one who expects to die before the day is out. Death would have no great terrors for you if you had a quiet conscience.. Then why not keep clear of sin instead of running away from death? If you aren’t fit to face death today, it’s very unlikely you will be tomorrow.”

The Church encourages us to prepare for the hour of our death. In the Litany of the Saints, we pray: “From a sudden and foreseen death, deliver us, O Lord.”

When we pray the Hail Mary, we ask the Mother of God to intercede for us now and at the hour of our death.

Two of my sisters and I present when my father died. I told my sisters, “Let’s pray three Hail Marys.” When we finished the last Hail Mary, just as we prayed, “Now and at the hour of our death”, my father opened his eyes, looked at my sister, then closed his eyes and died. Although it was difficult to go through, we knew the Virgin Mary was praying for Dad at the moment of his death.

We also entrust ourselves and our death to St. Joseph, the patron of a happy death. It is believed Jesus and Mary were at his bedside when he died. You can’t get a happier death than that!

When St. Francis of Assisi knew his death was approaching he said, “Praise are you, Lord, for our sister bodily Death, from whom no living man can escape. Woe to those who will die in mortal sin! Blessed are they who will be found in Your most holy will, for the second death will not harm them.”

Over the years and especially while doing hospital ministry, I prayed and spoke with people before they died.

Unbeknownst to each other, people have described similar experiences. For example, some said they left their body and began to walk into a tunnel toward a brilliant warm and peaceful light. But, then they when they got a glimpse of heaven, they had to return to earth.

The most common experience people told me is that they are visited by deceased relatives. I don’t know how many people have described this, but a good number of them did. Even when their health didn’t seem to be in danger, if they were visited by relatives who have died, almost always they would die soon, even when it seemed like they weren’t going to die.

An elderly woman once told me her deceased husband would come to her at night and put his arm around her. But, she didn’t like him doing that. She said it scared her. I suggested we offer three Masses for her deceased husband. Three weeks later, on the day, that we offered the last Mass for her husband, within an hour after that Mass was offered, she died suddenly of a heart attack. I told her family I thought the three Masses helped her husband get out of purgatory, so that when his wife would die, they could be together in heaven.

There’s a documentary playing in theaters now called “After Death”. It explains experiences people have had when they were clinically dead, but then later brought back to life.

No matter their religion, even atheists, experience the same near-death experiences. Many see their soul leave their body and having a heightened awareness of their surroundings.

For example, a 5 yr. old girl, blind from birth, drowned and was declared clinically dead. After being resuscitated, the girl explained in detail her surroundings including light poles, birds and what other people were doing when her soul left her body, yet she was completely blind.

Other people who died on the operating room table described in detail what was happening when they died. They were looking down and could see their body and everyone in the room. They explained how the doctor told a nurse to grab the defibrillator and how many times the machine was used.

Others, who had near-death experiences, could hear conversations people were having in the waiting room and see them and what they were doing.

Some describe walking into a brilliant light and then seeing Jesus. Then their whole life in detail is played before them like a movie. (most likely this is their judgment). They experience a peace and joy they never had before. None ever want to return to earth, because all of them would rather be in heaven. But Jesus always told them, he has something more for them to do. Then they suddenly return to their body when the doctors revive them.

A few years ago, my cousin’s husband was in the hospital and having severe abdominal pain. He said while he was alone in his room, suddenly he saw beautiful colors of light that filled his room. Little did he know, his daughter who lives in Manhattan, Kansas, at that exact moment, lit a candle for her dad, and she said she saw brilliant colors come from the candle.

When my aunt, Vernita, was dying, she exclaimed, “Mom” and told her daughter that her mother and some of her sisters were in the room. She died shortly after that.

Recently, a woman was upset that her cousin was dying, and when she lit a candle at the church, she told Jesus, “Lord please at least let me know, she is seeing angels.” She then went to see her at the hospital, and when she came in the room, the dying made the sign of the cross with her eyes closed. She said she was seeing angels and the angels were talking to her. She said the angels were very beautiful. She said one angel told her that it would happen when everyone would step out of the room, and it would be three days before it would happen.

As Catholics, we believe when we die, our soul leaves our body, and then our soul goes to its judgment. Our judgment is permanent. If we die with a mortal sin, we choose to go to hell to suffer eternal punishment forever. Jesus does not send us there. Rather, we choose to depart from Him and go there because we realize we do not belong in heaven or purgatory.

If our soul is in the state of grace, but not fully purified of its faults, or haven’t made up for its sins, we go to purgatory, where our soul is cleansed, until its fully pure, and then we enter heaven.

It often times happens that when we are dying, the devil makes one last attempt to get us commit a mortal sin. When St. Martin of Tours was dying, he saw the devil standing near. He said, “Why do you stand there, you bloodthirsty brute? Murderer, you will not have me for your prey. Abraham is welcoming me into his embrace.” With these words, he gave up his spirit to heaven.

We believe prayers, Masses, good deeds, indulgences, and our sacrifices can help poor souls to get out purgatory quicker so they can go to heaven.

If our soul was purified in this life by suffering and accepting all the crosses God sent us, and if we lived a virtuous life, and if we made up for all our sins, those holy souls will go straight to heaven.

St. Elizabeth of the Trinity helps us to understand that every moment of our life should be done out of love for God and neighbor.

She said, “In light of eternity, the soul sees things as they really are. Oh how empty is all that has not been done for God and with God. I beg you, mark everything with the seal of love. It alone endures. How serious life is. Each moment is given us in order to root us deeper in God.”

Are you ready for death? Let us ask the Virgin Mary and St. Joseph, to help us choose to live every day, as though it was our last, so that we are ready for Jesus, the bridegroom, who will take our soul to its judgment, and this way, we will be prepared for the wedding feast of heaven. May our lamps be always ready for His coming!