Thoughts on Death Part One

Not a popular subject-death. Most Americans and others flee from the thought of death and the euthanasia movement, so strong in Europe, denies the normal, human path of suffering leading to natural death.

God controls life. God controls death. When men and women try to take control over both life and death, they fall into serious sins: contraception, abortion, euthanasia.

As I watch a snow storm out of this window today, I am reminded that so many people actively avoid thinking of suffering, of death.

I think of death daily-my own, that of those who are far away from God, that of the victims, the aborted ones.

The American Dream constitutes a push against the idea of death.

Be comfortable, be happy, buy things, surround yourself with noise, surround yourself with entertainment.

Have the television and radio on all day so as never to reflect.  Be so active in doing so many things that you never have time to think on sin, punishment, heaven, hell, purgatory.

It is obvious from where I am sitting that this diocese has forgotten about death. There has not been a daily Mass for two weeks in my parish. There has not been a priest available for two weeks for confession.

The church has been locked-no Adoration, no rosaries, no prayer meetings. This is the season of Advent-we should be preparing for the Coming of Christ. This should be a time of intense spirituality.

Instead, people have filled their time with trivia-bake sales, shopping for Christmas, decorating the inside and outside of houses, using so much money for things which do not count, with money which should be given to the poor. I am ashamed to be an American.

All of these pursuits deny the real reason for Christmas. Christ came to save us from death and eternal separation from God.

Here is a reading from the First Mass on Christmas, the Midnight Mass. This is an exhortation, one to which priests rarely refer at Christmas. This reading notes that Christ came for our purification.

I shall continue with thoughts on preparing for death in this week to come....

Titus 2: 11-15

Léctio Epístolæ beáti Pauli Apóstoli ad Titum. Caríssime: Appáruit grátia Dei Salvatóris nostri ómnibus homínibus, erúdiens nos, ut, abnegántes impietátem et sæculária desidéria, sóbrie et juste et pie vivámos in hoc sæculo: exspectántes beátam spem, et advéntum glóriæ magni Dei et Salvatóris nostri Jesu Christi: qui dedit semetípsum pro nobis, ut nos redímeret ab omni iniquitáte, et mundaret sibi pópulum acceptábilem, sectatórem bonórum operum. Hæc lóquere et exhortáte, in Christo Jesu Dómino nostro. Deo Gratias.		Lesson from the Epistle of Blessed Paul the Apostle to Titus. Dearly beloved, The grace of God our Saviour hath appeared to all men, instructing us, that, denying ungodliness and worldly desires, we should live soberly and justly and godly in this world, looking for the blessed hope and coming of the glory of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ: Who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from all iniquity, and might cleanse to Himself a people acceptable, a pursuer of good works.These things speak and exhort: in Christ Jesus our Lord. Thanks be to God.