Posts Tagged ‘Death’
God Does Not Abandon Us at the Hour of Death
As a gentle mother, leading her little child with her, helps it to walk, carries it according as she sees necessity, allows it to make some steps by itself in places which are very smooth, and not at all dangerous, sometimes taking it by the hand and steadying it, sometimes lifting it up in her…
Read MoreThe Shortness of Life
“What is your life? It is a vapour, which appeareth for a little while.” -James 4:15 What is your life? It is like a vapor, which is dispersed by a breath of wind and is no more. All know that they must die, but many are deceived by picturing to themselves death at such a…
Read MoreWe Should Abandon Ourselves to God in Life and in Death
Among the praises given by the saints to Abraham, St. Paul mentions this above every other, that he believed, hoping against all hope. God has promised to multiply his posterity as the stars of heaven, and as the sand of the seashore; and, notwithstanding, gave him an order to sacrifice his only son. Yet Abraham…
Read MoreOn the Last Things
Try to imagine the one thing in this world that is most worth knowing – by everyone. The thing that is most worth having. Something the sheer longing for which could never be dismissed merely as a function of time or space, tribe or temperament. Is there a sentient being around who has not felt…
Read MoreMourning Those Whom We Have Lost
“Raise up your eyes often to Heaven; and see that this life is only a passage to eternity.” -St. Francis de Sales If we lose our parents and friends, we ought not to be too much distressed; for there is no reason in the world why we should desire those whom we love to remain…
Read MoreThe Happy Death of the Just
The end, it is said, crowns the work, and, therefore, it is in death that the just man’s life is most fittingly crowned, while the departure of the sinner is a no less fitting close to his wretched career. “Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints” (Ps. 115:15), says…
Read MoreDeferring Conversion Until Death
“We must bear in mind an undeniable principle, concerning which St. Augustine and all the holy Doctors are agreed – namely, that as true repentance is the work of God, so He can inspire it when and where he wills.” -Ven. Louis of Granada The excerpt below is taken from the 16th-century TAN classic known…
Read MoreThe Month of All Souls: 5 Ways Catholics Honor Their Dead
“All nations honor their dead. Whether enlightened by faith or groping in error, all strive to keep alive the memory of those whom death has taken away.” -Fr. John Sullivan, Catholic theologian Love of the departed and a desire to perpetuate their memory is found in every land and culture, both pagan and civilized. Along the…
Read MoreThe Weighty Subject of God’s Judgment
Bring the powers of your imagination to bear: your adorable, sweet baby matures into a young man who unpredictably commits a wicked crime despite all your efforts to raise him as an honorable citizen. You once clothed him in cute overalls, dressed him in a fine suit for his first Communion, helped him buy his…
Read MorePreparing Your Child for Death
There is perhaps no more counterintuitive notion for a parent than this: you must prepare your child for death.[1] From the moment you learned of the child in the womb, you have directed all your God-given instincts, your energy, and passion into keeping that child alive. You would move mountains to keep your son healthy;…
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