Tuesday, December 02, 2008

When I am old and in that bed, what will I see?

When my grandmother was dying she said to my mother, "Bunny, I can tell when the drugs are making me see things and when I am really seeing. I am really seeing this. I see Heaven. There are horses. And your Daddy is there. And it must be Sunday because he's wearing his preaching clothes."
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When I was a boy one of the pastors in my Dad's section (roughly analogous to a diocese) was dying. My dad and some other people were in the room when the dying man suddenly sat up, pointed to a corner in the room and said, "Who is that?" My Dad said, "Brother, there is no one there". But the dying preacher asked, "Who are you?" Then, as a smile spread across his face and as tears of joy rolled down his cheeks, he said, "Oh! I know you." And he laid his head on his pillow and died.
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When Abba Sisoes was about to die, and the fathers were sitting with him, they saw that his face was shining like the sun. He said unto them, "Behold, Abba Anthony has come." After a little while he said again, "Behold, the company of prophets has come," and his face shone twice as bright. Suddenly, he became as one speaking with someone else, and the fathers sitting there asked him, "Show us with whom you are speaking, father."

Immediately, Abba Sisoes said to them, "Behold, the angels came to take me away and I asked them to leave me so that I might tarry here a little longer and repent." And the old men said unto him, "You have no need to repent, father." And Abba Sisoes said to the fathers, "I do not know in my soul if I have rightly begun to repent," and they all realized that the old man was perfect.

Then, suddenly, his face beamed like the sun and all who sat there were afraid and he said to them, "Look! Look! Behold, the Lord has come and he says, 'Bring unto me the chosen vessel which is in the desert,'" and he at once delivered up his spirit and became like lightning and the whole place was filled with a sweet fragrance.

4 comments:

Mimi said...

My Grandfather saw angels as he was dying, and it is something that I consider very dear to me to have had him share that experience with my mom (who told me)

Anonymous said...

I think you'll see a big bottle of gin

Athanasia said...

Right at this moment my aunt, who has lived a life of hell (she suffers with paranoia/schizophrenia) is dying in a hospice bed with only the nurse there. My father, her brother, has decided not to go and be with her.

How I pray God blesses her with joyous angels surrounding her who will carry her blessed perfect soul to heaven. She has already spent an eternity in hell.

Pray for her: Jeanette Mary

Matt said...

Philippa, I will pray.