A Sunday Thought to Start the Week Off Right
Visiting the sick is a corporal work of mercy. I've been visiting a relative who's lying in bed dying for weeks now. He's hooked up to all sorts of tubes, barely responsive - when he is at all - with machines feeding him and assisting his breathing. Fortunately, the immediate family is Catholic, so decisions are being made with the intention of following the Church's guiding principles in such situations, and the family is all on board.
Naturally, in addition to the prayers, the relentless days of watching cause you to think. In the midst of such thinking, I came upon this passage during my spiritual reading one morning and wanted to share it with you:
I hope you're not the sort of Catholic who's "put off" by this sort of talk - I mean about death. Heaven knows I've struggled with this. I understand if you're fearful, even though our Faith tells us not to fear. But we're human, most of us deeply flawed, and so some of us do struggle with the reality of death.
My usual response is to throw myself into my work and push off these sorts of thoughts. But over time I've learned that's not really a good Catholic response. It's okay to put your energy into your work when you're upset or disturbed or angry, etc. You're just directing your energy into something positive and productive. It's not okay to put your energy into your work to escape.
Well, I suppose this isn't the sort of upbeat, "positive-thinking" those "personal development" gurus advise for a Sunday as you look at the coming work week. You're supposed to think happy thoughts about what you're going to accomplish, how you're going to advance towards success and self-fulfillment.
But we Catholics should know better. Our goal is Heaven. In Her wisdom, Mother Church has always advised us to meditate on the "Four Last Things": Heaven, Hell, Death, Judgment.
There's nothing wrong with success and happiness in our life here on earth. It's just that it's not nearly as important as a successful and happy death.
Naturally, in addition to the prayers, the relentless days of watching cause you to think. In the midst of such thinking, I came upon this passage during my spiritual reading one morning and wanted to share it with you:
Death is the most important moment of my entire life.
I can imagine myself on my deathbed and how I will view my life then and how I spent it. Was my life for God or for myself? I call myself a Christian but was Christ really the center of my life? Did I really do my best in serving Him? Or did I more or less leave God out of my life and give my best effort and energies in building up a comfortable existence for myself here on earth? Did I spend more of my time caring for my bodily health and physical appearance than in the things that pertain to the spiritual life and my soul’s appearance in the sight of God? Does my life really correspond with my Faith? Am I truly preparing my soul for the greatest moment of my life, the moment that my soul shall depart from my body and be judged by the living God?
The greatest catastrophe which I can experience is not a sudden or painful death, but to meet death unprepared. That is why we must always pray, and work, for a happy death. A death is only happy when the life that preceded it has been holy or at least an honest and sincere striving after holiness.
I hope you're not the sort of Catholic who's "put off" by this sort of talk - I mean about death. Heaven knows I've struggled with this. I understand if you're fearful, even though our Faith tells us not to fear. But we're human, most of us deeply flawed, and so some of us do struggle with the reality of death.
My usual response is to throw myself into my work and push off these sorts of thoughts. But over time I've learned that's not really a good Catholic response. It's okay to put your energy into your work when you're upset or disturbed or angry, etc. You're just directing your energy into something positive and productive. It's not okay to put your energy into your work to escape.
Well, I suppose this isn't the sort of upbeat, "positive-thinking" those "personal development" gurus advise for a Sunday as you look at the coming work week. You're supposed to think happy thoughts about what you're going to accomplish, how you're going to advance towards success and self-fulfillment.
But we Catholics should know better. Our goal is Heaven. In Her wisdom, Mother Church has always advised us to meditate on the "Four Last Things": Heaven, Hell, Death, Judgment.
There's nothing wrong with success and happiness in our life here on earth. It's just that it's not nearly as important as a successful and happy death.
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