Keeping Death In Mind

When flying back from his apostolic trips around the world, Pope Francis has made it a custom to speak with journalists on the plane. On one flight, a reporter asked him where he found the energy at his age to keep up with such a hectic schedule. The Holy Father replied that he knew his time was short and that there was still much he needed to do. He explained that keeping in mind how little time he had left on earth energized him through all the appearances, speeches and ceremonies that make up his schedule.

It is natural for a man in his 70’s, like the Holy Father, to be thinking about the end of his life. But, the truth is that none of us knows how long our lives will be. What Jesus says in today’s gospel about the end of the world could also be said about the end of our earthly lives: “...of that day or hour, no one knows, neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.” For some of us, our lives will be much longer than we imagine. Others of us would be shocked to know how little time we have left.

As Christians, it is important for us to keep death in mind. It reminds us that we are not meant for this world alone but for eternal life in heaven. Therefore, we set our hearts not on the things of this world but on the realities which are eternal. As Jesus tells us in today’s gospel, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.” Our short life on earth is a preparation for an everlasting life of joy with our Lord. As people of faith, therefore, we do not look on our imminent death with fear or loathing but with hope. As the Catechism of the Catholic Church instructs us: “The Christian who unites his own death to that of Jesus views it as a step towards him and an entrance into everlasting life.” (1020)

Inspired, then, by the hope of everlasting life that Jesus won for us by His death and resurrection and by the words He speaks to us in the gospel, let us take this opportunity to reflect on two of the realities that await us after death - judgement and Purgatory.

The first reality after death is judgement. Each of us, at the moment of our death, will stand before the judgement seat of Christ to give an account of our lives. Every choice we have made, the intentions of our hearts and the desires that drove us will lay bare before ourselves and our Creator. There will be no time to make excuses or to try to justify what we have done or have failed to do. We will have no choice but to stand under the light of truth. It is an ominous thought. The fact is that very few of us will have enough good deeds to overshadow the selfish and hurtful choices we have made. Our only hope will be to trust in our Heavenly Father’s mercy. He is more just and loving than any human judge could be. We can trust Him to understand and forgive just as long as we have the humility to see ourselves as we really are.

During our lives, then, we should always bear in mind that we will one day stand before Jesus to give an account of our use of the gifts He has given us. Whenever we weigh a decision we should ask ourselves how we would explain our choice to Jesus. Most especially, we should make use of the Sacrament of Confession as frequently as possible. Admitting our sinfulness and weakness and accepting God’s mercy and forgiveness is a way of settling out of court rather than facing the full sentence. When we confess our sins, God promises not to hold them against us. Also, through this powerful sacrament, we receive the power to avoid temptation in the future and the wisdom to make good choices. If we make it a habit of examining our consciences regularly and confessing our sins frequently, then we will stand before the judgement seat of Christ with that much more peace and confidence.

If we die without serious sin on our conscience, we can be assured of reaching Heaven. However, we may still have some inclination toward sin in our soul. We may still have desires in our heart which make us more susceptible to temptation. In that case, we will require one more act of mercy on God’s behalf before we can enter the perfect life of Heaven. That last act of mercy we call - “Purgatory”. The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches us: “All who die in God’s grace and friendship, but still imperfectly purified, are indeed assured of their eternal salvation; but after death they undergo purification, so as to achieve the holiness necessary to enter the joy of heaven.” (1030)

The simplest way to put it is - We will all be perfect in Heaven. However, few of us will be perfect when we die. Purgatory is the place where we are made perfect before entering the bliss of Heaven.

The Church has always believed that we can assist the souls in Purgatory through our prayers, our sacrifices and by offering Masses for their eternal rest. This is a beautiful act of mercy we can perform for those who have gone before us. It unites us to them through love and gives us the hope that they will assist us with their prayers once they have reached Paradise. Everyday, we should make it a point to say a prayer for our loved ones who have died and also for those who have no one to pray for them. We should also make a point of teaching our children about this pious practice so that they will pray for us after we have passed away.

As Christians, we keep the reality of our death ever in mind because we look forward in hope to the everlasting life of Heaven. That does not mean that we do not enjoy our lives on earth. Every day is a gift from God. We should thank Him for it and use it to draw closer to Him. God does not want us to live in fear but to trust in His goodness, love and mercy. If we do so, then we can feel confident when we stand before Him because we will not be relying on our own goodness but on His.