Remembering Flannery O’Connor’s Entry into Heaven
On the Way to the Father’s House
Photo by Johannes Plenio on Unsplash
The following is from Blessed Karl Lampert († 1944), an Austrian priest and vicar general of the Diocese of Innsbruck, who was killed by the Nazis in the Dachau concentration camp. These words from his diary are quoted by Father John Lenz in his account of the experience of priests in Dachau.
I am prepared to give my life here on earth for God whenever and wherever he demands it of me. May he be a merciful judge of my immortal soul through the redemption won for us by his Son, Jesus Christ, our lord. With my last breath, I thank God from the bottom of my heart for all the gifts and goodness which I have received throughout my life from his fatherly hand, particularly for the inestimable gift of Catholic parents and a Catholic home, the right to be called a child of God, and the grace of my priestly vocation.
It was my greatest happiness on earth to be a Christian and a priest—and my greatest sorrow to have failed so often out of human weakness. May God have mercy upon this miserable sinner. I trust in his mercy and in the promises of Christ and long with all my heart to enter his heavenly kingdom. This is my fervent hope and my humble prayer. I beg all those who in this life have in any way suffered injustice or pain at my hands to forgive me, as I forgive with all my heart every offense and humiliation committed against me!…
There are so many to whom I owe a debt of gratitude…. I was never rich enough to repay them here on earth. May God allow me to help them in eternity—I should repay them in good measure. I give my blessing in our Lord to all those to whom I was bound in this life by the ties of blood, of suffering, of work, and of religion.
If they saw anything good in me, then I beg them to thank God with me; if they saw only human frailty, then may their strength atone for my weakness so that we may all rejoice together in the fulfilment of the promises of our Lord Jesus Christ to whom, with the Father and the Holy Ghost, be all praise and thanks and honor and glory for ever and ever.
Recommended Stories
About the Author
Catholic Millennial. I hail from Philadelphia, PA. 4th-degree member of the Knights of Columbus. I enjoy writing, traveling, ballroom dancing, meeting new people, having deep conversations over a cold beer or wine (sometimes champagne), and petting adorable dogs that come right past me.
I hope to convey more messages from our culture with a twist of faith.
Some of my writings will range from pro-life (yes, men can have a say in the abortion issue, Karen), pop culture, history, and just some spontaneous reflections without warning
