The mysticism of Maria Simma, born 1915 and died 2004 in Sonntag, Vorarlberg, Austria, is one that should convince and convert us: we survive physical death and all that the Catholic church is saying about the afterlife is true.
This is a very important concern for all in these times where prevailing philosophy is almost atheistic, and daily focus is outright earthly: fancy cars, stately homes or condo units, latest gadgets, power especially in politics.
To review: Maria Simma lived a holy Catholic life whose mysticism consisted of frequent visits from the souls in Purgatory whom she saw with somewhat physical form.
I know of at least two interview books on her, one by Sister Emmanuelle which is readily available in a small prayer book sold at St. Paul’s and another rarer and more lengthy book by Nicky Eltz.
For some time, I had sought a copy of the latter and found none, until lately when, all of sudden, it was in the list of digitally sold books from Amazon.com. Ah, the insights into the afterlife the book uncovers.
In a series of this column, I shared some of Sister Emmanuelle’s quotes of Maria. Now, let me share more highly interesting quotes from the interview of Eltz:
Q: Has a poor soul ever shown you any sense of humor?
A: Well, in one case. It concerned (soul of) a teacher and as he was standing in front of me, I asked him, Where did you live? He answered, In a house. And then when I took this to my priest, he said, You see you should not be too curious….
Q: Other than at the very beginning, have you ever again tried to touch one (soul)?
A: Not really, but this did happen once and I suppose I must have been sleeping especially deeply.
A hand going across my face awakened me and I thought, What’s this? And when I was completely awake, I saw it was a poor soul. I most definitely felt it but when I attempt to touch one, I feel nothing, or at the very least, a little coolness.
Q: Do they only appear by themselves or do they also appear in groups?
A: On rare occasions they also come in groups, but in those cases they all need the same thing to be delivered (from Purgatory)…
Q: When we ask them to assist us, is it enough to simply think the request or must we ask it out loud?
A: They cannot read our minds, but they do know our suffering and in knowing our suffering they also know many of our true needs and therefore they will step in for us. Saying it out loud guarantees that they hear it, but be assured that a whisper is enough.
They are always around us, but I would not advise you to start talking to them in public. And, of course, Jesus knows our thoughts, so thinking a request of them silently will also conveyed to them by the Mother of Mercy….
Q: Is it considered a sin not to believe that souls of the deceased visit us?
A: No, it isn’t a sin, but one may not make fun of these things either. It is not an article of faith and therefore it’s not a sin…
Q: What are the different ways that the poor souls can show themselves to their living relatives?
A: Most common of all is by knocking. A friend of mine also experienced knocking and counted the knocks to determine how many Masses that particular soul needed….
They can call our names. Sometimes people can recognize the voice exactly and that serves as a reminder to pray for that particular person.”
(to be continued)
