Despite his own injuries, priest gave last rites to crash victims

LA Times ^ | September 18, 2008 | Anna Gorman

[Between the Lines]

Still in a daze from the crash, Donald Ashman walked over to the first body.

Ashman knelt down and lifted a corner of a white blanket covering the body, placed his hand on the man's forehead and said the words he had said so many times before, almost always at a hospital:

"May God Almighty have mercy upon thee, forgive thee thy sins and bring thee to everlasting life."

The prayer took just a few seconds. Ashman returned the blanket and turned to the next victim, not far from the mangled Metrolink train.

He didn't know their names, their ages, their stories. He knew only that they had died and that they had probably been heading home to their families, as he was, after the workday.

Reflecting on that day now, Ashman also knows, as surely as he has known anything in his 62 years, why he was on that train and why he survived.

He was there to administer their last rites.

"I was where God intended me to be," Ashman said in an interview Wednesday from his home in Thousand Oaks.

[tiki]

About 8 years ago my youngest son was overcome with carbon monoxide poisoning at work. His fellow workers put him on a trailer while they waited for an ambulance. They said that his heart was beating so hard that it was raising his chest by inches. No-one knew what was wrong or what to do, but there was one man who knew that all he could do was pray.

After 2 hours on oxygen he finally regained conciousness and told the Dr. what was wrong with him and they checked and the Dr. said that even after that long on oxygen he still had a lethal dose and should be dead.

Anyhow, when he needed prayer most, God put someone there for him.

[Mrs. Don-o]

Thanks for that info about the High Church Anglicans: I like that “Catholic in all but name (as opposed to Catholic in name only).”

[Tennessee Nana]

Unless this priest made sure he was only giving last rights to Catholics, is what he did any different from what the some Mormons did?
______________________________________

Because he wasnt taking down names and adding them to the attendance rolls of his religion like the mormons do...

He wasnt making new Catholics...

And he didnt believe he was doing that...

[Tennessee Nana]

Thanks for the PING...

God Bless this precious man of God...

[windcliff]

ping

[greyfoxx39]

Unless this priest made sure he was only giving last rights to Catholics, is what he did any different from what the some Mormons did?

Mormons don't stop with baptism. The dead are confirmed as members of the mormon church by proxy, and other rituals are performed for the dead in their temples. The dead are given the choice as to whether to accept these ordinances or not.

 

BAPTISM FOR THE DEAD

Baptism for the dead is usually performed by Mormon youths between the ages of twelve and eighteen. Dressed in white clothes, the youth enters the baptismal font and stands upright. Using his (her) left hand, he (she) grasps his (her) own right wrist, and uses the fingers of the right hand to hold the nose shut while being immersed. The person performing the baptism stands at the left side of the youth and grasps the youth’s right hand with his left hand. He then raises his right arm to an angle of ninety degrees ands repeats the baptismal prayer. Following the prayer, he places his right hand on the youth’s back and supports him (her) during immersion, raising the youth quickly out of the water to an upright position again, when the ceremony is repeated several more times on behalf of other deceased persons.

Brother _______, having been commissioned of Jesus Christ, I baptize you, for and in behalf of _______, who is dead, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.

CONFIRMATION OF THE DEAD

Following baptism, the deceased must be confirmed a member of the Mormon Church. This ceremony does not have to be performed by the same proxy by the baptism, and usually isn’t. The proxy sits in a chair, and two Mormon Elders place their hands on the proxy’s head, and repeat the following, for each deceased person.

Brother _______, in the name of Jesus Christ, we lay our hands upon your head, for and in behalf of _______, who is dead, and confirm you a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and say unto you, Receive the Holy Ghost. Amen.

.ORDINATION OF THE DEAD

This ceremony gives the Priesthood to the deceased.

Brother _______, having authority, we lay our hands upon your head, and confer upon you the Melchizedek Priesthood and ordain you an Elder in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, for and in behalf of _______, who is dead, and seal upon you every grace, gift and authority appertaining to this office in the Holy Melchizedek Priesthood, for and in his behalf, in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

Link

 

An interesting story about baptism of our Founding Fathers.

Teachings of Ezra Taft Benson (http://wind.prohosting.com/rlanwood/request2.htm)

Those who say that in this country one's religion should be relegated to his private life alone and never be allowed to "intrude" on his public activities should study the Founding Fathers. This nation has a spiritual foundation. Its wellsprings are themselves religious. Its life is deeply rooted in faith.


When I [Ezra Taft Benson]became President of the Twelve and Spencer W. Kimball became President of the Church, we met, just the two of us, every week after our Thursday meetings in the temple, just to be sure that things were properly coordinated between the Twelve and the First Presidency. After one of those first meetings, we talked about the many sacred documents in some of the older temples. St. George was mentioned in particular because St. George is our oldest temple in Utah. I had a stake conference down there about that time, and it was agreed that I would go into the archives -- the walk-in vault -- of that great temple and review the sacred documents that were there. We were planning for the remodeling and renovating of the St. George Temple and thought that the records might possibly be moved to Salt Lake for safekeeping. And there in the St. George Temple I saw what I had always hoped and prayed that someday I would see. Ever since I returned as a humble missionary and first learned that the Founding Fathers had appeared in that temple, I wanted to see the record. And I saw the record. They did appear to Wilford Woodruff twice and asked why the work hadn't been done for them. They had founded this country and the Constitution of this land, and they had been true to those principles. Later the work was done for them.

In the archives of the temple, I saw in a book, in bold handwriting, the names of the Founding Fathers and others, including Columbus and other great Americans, for whom the work had been done in the house of the Lord. This is all one great program on both sides of the veil. We are fortunate to be engaged in it on this side of the veil. I think the Lord expects us to take an active part in preserving the Constitution and our freedom.

The Founding Fathers of this nation, those great men, appeared within those sacred walls of the St. George Temple and had their vicarious work done for them. President Wilford Woodruff spoke of it in these words: "Before I left St. George, the spirits of the dead gathered around me, wanting to know why we did not redeem them. Said they, `You have had the use of the Endowment House for a number of years, and yet nothing has ever been done for us. We laid the foundation of the government you now enjoy, and we never apostatized from it, but we remained true to it and were faithful to God.'"

After he became President of the Church, President Wilford Woodruff declared that "those men who laid the foundation of this American government were the best spirits the God of heaven could find on the face of the earth. They were choice spirits [and] were inspired of the Lord."

The temple work for the fifty-six signers of the Declaration of Independence and other Founding Fathers has been done. All these appeared to Wilford Woodruff when he was president of the St. George Temple. President George Washington was ordained a high priest at that time. You will also be interested to know that, according to Wilford Woodruff's journal, John Wesley, Benjamin Franklin, and Christopher Columbus were also ordained high priests at that time. When one casts doubt about the character of these noble sons of God, I believe he or she will have to answer to the God of heaven for it. Yes, with Lincoln I say: "To add brightness to the sun or glory to the name of Washington is . . . impossible. Let none attempt it. In solemn awe pronounce the name and in its deathless splendor, leave it shining on."



Source: Benson, Ezra Taft, Teachings of Ezra Taft Benson. Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1988. 602 -

 

[Huber]

APKC is of course, sionnsar’s province!

[Huber]

Note the traditional crucifix in the photo!

[Mrs. Don-o]

Yes; that says something, doesn’t it?

[delacoert]

because Mormons dared to pray for dead persons

No. Baptizing dead Christians from lists of names isn't just praying for dead persons. Administering Last Rights to the body of someone mortally wounded (even apparently deceased) is not the same thing as praying for the dead. But you probably knew that.

[delacoert]

Last Rights Rites.

[delacoert]

I was very moved by the whole account printed in this article.

The last line of the article says, "Ashman said he plans to return to preaching this weekend. He doesn't know if he'll talk about the crash but expects to talk about healing, of both body and soul."

[bboop]

The Catholic church welcomes and annoints ‘em on the way in and annoints ‘em again on the way out. Well, on the way to Heaven. Birth to death covering.

[Elsie]

Note the traditional crucifix in the photo!

Then I can only surmise that the fellow in the picture is NOT a vampire!

[wardaddy]

Very nice.

This reminds me of the only good part of the Apostle....the very beginning at the car wreck.

God bless....I’m not Catholic but I sure wouldn’t mind that last blessing-prayer.

[arthurus]

You can’t give “last rites” to the dead. It has to be given conditionally where it is not known if the person is dead or still alive.

[arthurus]

I am Catholic and that is correct. Once one is dead there is no repentance and there is no efficacy to baptism.

[Salvation]

God bless Father Ashman.

[Salvation]

This is the administration of the Annointng of the Sick — a Sacrament. It is given to the living, not the dead.

The dead can be prayed for, but there is no baptism or sacrament after they die. At the moment of their death, (the particular judgment, is what Catholics call it.) they meet Jesus. No time for anything then.

[Salvation]

Here is some background information on Catholic beliefs posted by NYer.

A Brief Catechism for Adults - Lesson 19: The Seven Sacraments

The Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick used to be called Extreme Unction.

A Brief Catechism for Adults - Lesson 27: The Sacrament of Extreme Unction