By Fr. Justin Fulton
I’ll never forget the first person I watched pass away into the arms of our Eternal Loving Jesus. I was in my first year of theology at St. Charles Borromeo Seminary in Philadelphia and on Thursdays I was assigned to visit patients at Holy Redeemer Hospital in Huntingdon Valley, Pa.
I remember just getting done with a good, conversational lunch. I got in the elevator and went back to the floor where I was stationed and upon exiting the elevator a nurse with a thick Philly accent said, “Fatha’, Fatha’, you gotta go in there. She’s gettin’ ready to meet Jesus.”
I was a little perplexed but I made sure the patient had already received from a priest the Anointing of the Sick and her last Sacraments. I went in the room, not knowing what to expect. What I witnessed I will remember for the rest of my life.
I remember saying a prayer to the Holy Spirit asking to say what needed to be said to comfort the family. I had never seen anyone die before. In the room were the children of the dying person. The person, “Aunt Peggy,” had lived a long life and had Alzheimer’s Disease.
After praying a bit, I asked the family to pray an Our Father with me and we did. About half-way through the Our Father, Aunt Peggy awakened and joined in the prayer, finished the prayer, reclined back into her pillow, and died. Her last words were the Our Father. It was beautiful.
The family then said that was not supposed to happen... and I was confused. The family members stated that Aunt Peggy had not spoken for a long time—over a year—due to her Alzheimer’s. So, for Aunt Peggy to speak, it was a miracle. And then for her to pass away after praying was even more beautiful. I was stunned. I thanked the family for the experience and gave them some Miraculous Medals I had in my pocket. It just so happened I had one for each of Aunt Peggy’s children, no more and no less. Another God moment.
I recall that experience much during prayer. For me, it is what Lent is all about—giving up everything so that only Love (God) can remain. Aunt Peggy had lost all of her mental and physical faculties. She was so little and could not even speak. Yet in the end, it was the Holy Spirit and the indwelling Trinity speaking for her, praying that last prayer. Only Love remained. Everything she had was lost except for the fact God was totally in control of her life.
This is what Lent is all about: Giving Jesus our best (not our excess), our prayers, our penances, our material goods, and our sacrifices so that only He can remain. May we enter into this Lent thinking about those who are less fortunate and may we give Christ in the Poor and Christ Himself all that we have so that He is the only one living greatly through us.
May God bless us all!
