Avoiding Death

How often do you think about death? When you do think about death, in what manner do you think about it? There are those who dwell on death with a morbid (and often sinful) fascination. There are those who spend their time fearing death, and therefore make decisions with the ultimate goal of avoiding it. And then, there are those who think about death as something that is not good in itself, but they do not fear it. This latter group accept the reality of death and trust God to bring it when the time is right.

In ages past, Catholics would often ponder their death with a view to making sure that they always live in the realization that one day they will have to face God and give account for their entire lives ("memento mori"). Those who constantly fear death, are often crippled by that fear, and unable to have a proper perspective on death. If it really is true (and the Church says it is) that those who die in the faith are allowed to go to Heaven with Jesus, then our whole life should not be aimed at preventing death. No, we are not to seek death, but we are also not to believe that it is the worst thing that can happen to us.

The Scriptures often say things like, "Jesus came to overcome death so we would not have to fear it", and "the Lord loves the death of His faithful people". If we are living our lives obedient to God (and also obeying Him by going to confession when we find that we have disobeyed), then we have every confidence that we are going to be in His presence after we die.

So then, how much effort do you put into avoiding death? I am not telling you to live recklessly; absolutely not. I am, however, asking: are you obsessed with not dying? Because if you are, then you are living contrary to the hope and faith that God tells us to have in Him and His ability to overcome death. After all, was that not one of the main points of the Resurrection of Christ? That we could know that He overcame death and the grave, and that we have nothing to fear from death if we live in Christ?