There is much talk today about end-of-life issues such has assisted suicide, hospice care, etc. One thing that I find more disturbing than the modern hot-button issues is the real lack of understanding about death from the spiritual perspective. The concept of a "happy death" such as our ancestors in the faith would have known and prepared for is almost nonexistent today.O holy and most merciful Saviour, deliver us not into the bitter pains of eternal death. Thou knowest, Lord, the secrets of our hearts; shut not Thy merciful ears to our prayer; but spare us, Lord most holy, O God most mighty, O holy and merciful Saviour, Thou most worthy Judge eternal, suffer us not, at our last hour, for any pains of death to fall from Thee."
"And therefore it is said in the seventh book of Ecclesiastes: MELIOR EST DIES MORTIS DIE NATIVITATIS. 'The day of man's death is better than the day of man's birth." And this is understood only of good men and the chosen people of God. For of evil men and reprovable, neither the day of their birth, neither the day of their death, may be called good. And therefore every good perfect Christian man, and also every other man though he be imperfect and late converted from sin, so he be verily contrite and believe in God, should not be sorry nor troubled, neither dread death of his body, in what manner wise or for what manner cause that he be put thereto; but gladly and wilfully, with reason of his mind that ruleth his sensuality, he should take his death and suffer it patiently, conforming and committing fully his will to God's will and to God's disposition alone, if he will go hence and die well and surely: witnessing the wise man that saith thus : BENE MORI, EST LIBENTER MORI. To die well is to die gladly and wilfully.
Therefore every sick man, and every other man that is in any peril, should be diligently induced and exhorted that he maketh himself, before all other things, peace with God; receiving spiritual medicines, that is to say the sacraments of Holy Church; ordaining and making his testament; and lawfully disposing for his household, and other needs, if he hath any to dispose for. And there should not be given first to no man too much hope of bodily heal. But the contrary thereof is now often times done of many men, into great peril of souls; and namely of them that actually and openly be drawing and in point hastily to die, for none of them will hear nothing of death.
The reason for this lack of concern for the "last things" is that people have simply put away the idea of sin. That the things we do can have eternal consequences is forgotten, or completely rejected, EVEN BY CATHOLICS! Every funeral that I do is a canonization. This has contributed to the lack of concern for having Masses offered for the repose of the souls of our beloved dead. We don't pray for the dead because we have lost the idea that there's any point to it!
Of course, the Prods will find this development quite gratifying. I mean, after all, they founded themselves on the idea that it was impossible to assist the souls of the faithful departed after death. But who cares what they think? Their "religion" is false anyway. What is really lamentable is that Catholics have bought into this completely. Get your purgatory done now, folks, you don't want to do it later, I can assure you!
1 comment:
Yes, the canonizations; you're right... but back to "Death ... is really a SPIRITUAL struggle that is taking place" is truly brought home by Fr. Ron Camarda's descriptions of his ministries to the dying and already dead in TEAR IN THE DESERT. Father Ron was the last person to touch them as they left this world and were delivered into the hands of God.
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