This
personal story was related to me by a dear friend who was a priest for
the diocese of Lincoln, Nebraska. Alfred's family had just moved into their
new home. It was an old but large house. Everything seemed to be going
well until they had their first supper in the dining room. The table was
set and the family gathered around it. As was their custom they lit a candle
in the center of the table and prepared to say the blessing. However, no
sooner had the candle been lit that it rose off the table and threw itself
against the door.
Alfred, who was one of the most brilliant minds I had ever known, said that there was some panic at this, but that he observed the phenomenon in a rather matter-of-fact manner. {During five years of engineering college he had received all A's minus one B. He never saw anything other than an A in philosophy or theology studies (eight years more!).}
His sister verified the story. He lit the candle again, the same thing happened. They tried to eat their dinner, without their customary candle.
Checking with neighbors they discovered something the real estate agent had neglected to tell them. It turned out that a man who had formerly lived in the house had hanged himself by the chandelier directly over where they placed the table. Suicide is a most terrible sin and a crime that directly assaults the Gospel of Life. Traditionally, those who committed suicide were even refused internment in consecrated ground. It was regarded as the ultimate sin against the Holy Spirit which defied repentance and forgiveness. However, as with any mortal sin, the person must know not only that something is seriously wrong, as suicide is, but they must freely and firmly resolve to commit the action. Suicide victims are rarely rational and dispassionate. Often there is mental illness and great emotional distress. These elements impede volition and unduly affect rational processes. Understanding this, most churchmen today leave the matter of one's spiritual state after suicide in the hands of our just, but ever so merciful, God. Thus, in this case it was possible that the soul of the dead man wanted to be remembered in prayer. Of course, if the fellow had indeed gone to hell, then the presence would not have been so much his ghost as a demonic entity. Further complicating matters, demons have been known to mimic or to assume the identities of others, living or dead.
A priest was called to bless the house and the family prayed for the departed man. The strange levitations were ended. Alfred was never able to adequately explain it.
Church practices have long recognized that places can either be sanctified or desecrated by the actions committed there. May we live in such a manner that our presence will bring blessing to those we meet and to those places we go. Places also remind us of people, it may be the dead use this fact as a means of identification for the living to direct their attention and prayers. It should also be warned that some actions may be so foul that they invite a demonic presence which needs to be exorcized.