Death! Will It Be Followed by Eternal Life?

by George "Pat" Morse

From the moment of our birth, we are moving inexorably towards the most important event in our lives: our "Death." It is not how healthy and strong we are that is most important; nor our ability, or our money; nor how assiduously and successfully we strive for position or rank or power; not our charm or beauty or talent or skills; nor wealth, influence, or power. What is of greatest importance is how we prepare for the hour of our death.

Why the "hour of our death?" The Church uses the great prayer to our Blessed Mother, the "Hail Mary," to emphasize its importance. Repeated over and over in our rosary, in our morning and night prayers and in the beautiful Angelus, it turns the "Hail Mary" into a plea to the heavenly Mother for our salvation: "Pray for us now and at the hour of our death!"

Here we are, mere mortals, asking the Mother of God to pray for us. Our audacity calls to mind the words of Saint Elizabeth when Mary, after the Annunciation, goes to visit her on that momentous occasion memorialized in the Second Decade of the Joyful Mysteries: "Who am I that the Mother of my Lord should come to me?"

Who am I that I may say to the Mother of Our Lord, "Pray for us now and at the hour of our death?" And expect that she shall hear and answer me?

Not only is it an overwhelming assurance of the love of God, expressed in the kindness and compassion of Mary for our salvation, but a warning that, at the hour of our death, we may be at our greatest moment of peril. We may well ask: "Why at that particular moment?"

From the lives of the saints we learn that the battle for our soul is most intense just before we die, as Satan — the diabolical, brilliant antagonist in the unceasing war with Almighty God — strives for every soul to add to his vile kingdom. The saints, throughout the centuries, regardless of how holy, how committed in their love of God though good works and prayers, were well aware that in their final moments the wiles and wickedness of the devil would be employed to capture their immortal souls. Thus, the importance of prayer right up to and especially at the moment of death.

Beguiling us by clever attractions and doubts, preying on us during a time of fear and weakness on our deathbed, Satan inspires feelings of unworthiness and guilt for past wrongdoings. Given the superior weapons of a fallen angel second only to God in the power to influence, the dying mortal would be no match against the Prince of Darkness were it not for the ineffable mercy of God made available by His love for us and by our lives of fidelity and obedience.

What better preparation for death than a lifelong practice of prayer? From this grows an ever-increasing love of God, devotion to the Mother of God, and attachment to our Guardian Angels, those pure spirits whose purpose for being is to aid and guide us to eternal salvation! Regular and frequent prayer is a form of praise and an expression of love of God.

As we embrace the habit, we look for prayers which express our love more perfectly and which tell Him of our needs with greater assurance and confidence.

For some, like myself, my sense of inadequacy makes the realization of mutual love difficult to imagine, much less believe. Constant prayer helps me to believe that He truly loves me and gives me the confidence to speak of my love for Him. Each person must find the way to believe this miracle, perhaps first intellectually, then, in time, emotionally.

The comforting benefit of dedication to my Guardian Angel becomes more and more treasured as, through constant prayer, I realize ever more clearly that he is here solely for the purpose of aiding me to save my soul and attain heaven. This reality is the source of many treasured benefits for me: He acquires a name (I have named mine Fidelity and my wife, Margaret, has named her Guardian Angel Grace). We confide in them from the time we arise in the morning until we retire at night, saying often the Prayer to the Guardian Angel. We talk to them, especially in times of need or stress, as have the last five Popes to theirs, calling on them especially when faced with serious issues or problems.

Margaret and I say the Prayer to the Guardian Angel every time we get into our car and start driving. We ask for help in times of need for parking, or stressful traffic, or to make appointments on time — and they respond! Hopefully, we shall have the time and capacity at the hour of our death to seek the aid and succor not only of our Blessed Mother, but of our Guardian Angels as well.

To the skeptic who sees "Angels" as a myth or pleasant "make-believe" suitable for little children, I suggest a look back into Church history at the Annunciation, the Flight into Egypt, the tempting of Jesus by the devil, the roles of Gabriel, Michael, Raphael ,and others. The angels are neither imaginary nor fictitious. Nor would God and the Church play games, telling us of the important roles of angels in the divine plan if they didn't exist.

To reject the aid of your Guardian Angel is risky business as well as foolhardy. He is there for a purpose. To fail to avail oneself of a gift and a treasure so great is not only unwise, but a rebuff to the Almighty by Whom the angels were created for our benefit and need. And we certainly need them.

Is all this prayer and preparation exaggerated? Excessive? Well, let's examine it, as in any battle — and we are in a battle, a battle to save our souls against "the wiles and wickedness and the snares of Satan." He who is prepared by training, knowledge of the enemy, conviction, and devotion to the prize, is more likely to succeed than he who leaves to the moment of conflict — or temptation — his preparation and plan for survival.

To draw an analogy to the world we live in, let's look at the business of life: Take the serious young people who aspire to achieve academic excellence in any or all of the subjects, languages, sciences, law and medicine. Or to make the football or basketball team. Or the theater or music scene. Do they just decide that language, or science, or math, is going to be their cup of tea and that the necessary skill will come without practice? Of course not. First comes an understanding of the challenge and what it takes to succeed — to star on the athletic field, or behind the footlights, or in the laboratory or courtroom. Then comes practice, practice, practice.

One quickly learns that the degree of success is measured by the level of commitment, physical and mental.

Now, if this is so on the worldly level, why would we expect to attain the far more treasured spiritual and heavenly prize with far less commitment than that required for the worldly prize? No. The level of commitment required is determined by the value of the prize we seek and, for eternity in glory with God, it requires a lifetime of dedication.

Isn't this what St. Paul tells us, based on his life? "The time has come for me to be gone. I have fought the good fight to the end; I have run the race to the finish; I have kept the faith; all there is to come now is the crown of righteousness reserved for me . . ." What a prize it is that we run to attain! Truly, a "pearl of great price." Eternal glory with Christ which St. Paul felt assured he would attain as a result of his long years of "fighting the good fight to the end — of running the race to the finish." So, too, for us!

As we set our goals at higher and more precious levels, if we are going to secure the prize, the demands on us increase to discipline our lives so as to be able to achieve the exclusion of life's temptations for leisure and illicit pleasure. Our Divine Savior tells us to be constantly watchful and ready. To reject Satan and all his temptations. To avoid the occasions of sin.

His admonitions are constant and varied. "If you love Me, the world will hate you." An idle statement by Our Lord? Of course not. Even He was tempted by Satan. "And when he had departed, the angels came and ministered unto Him."

If resisting Satan was a trial for Our Lord, what about us? From whence comes our source of aid? It comes from prayer: regular, constant, devout prayer, made part of our daily lives by plan: "Pray for me now and at the hour of my death."

So, why should we be surprised that the cost to win the greatest of all prizes, our eternal salvation and attainment of the Beatific Vision, requires that we design our plan and live and work constantly to carry out that plan, if we are to succeed? It doesn't surprise us. We know the price we have to pay. We just don't want to pay it, at least not just yet. "I am going to get around to it one of these days."

OK, but will that be soon enough to start in order to get our minds and bodies sufficiently fit for the fight? The earlier we start, the fitter we become. Conversely, the later we wait, the harder it is to achieve the discipline and fitness. And often "tomorrow never comes."

Our goal is not Death, but Heaven. However, Heaven is attained by Death and in order to plan for Heaven, we must plan for Death, a Happy Death, meaning a death which finds us able to say that we have exhausted ourselves in the "good fight" — as faithful members of the Church Militant. And, as soldiers in that battle, one of our great weapons is Prayer.

Prayer is not only of the greatest benefit in our preparation for our own death, but also as a means of aid to our departed family members and friends who may be awaiting deliverance from Purgatory. Regardless of the current tendency to assume our deceased have gone right to heaven, the Church continues to teach (but neither often nor clearly enough) about the existence of Purgatory. We know that the soul in Purgatory must be purified of every vestige of sin before achieving the Beatific Vision. We know that the soul in Purgatory cannot pray for himself, but we know that he can offer up his suffering for our sake in gratitude for our prayers. Thus, we can not only aid the souls in Purgatory, but also reap their gratitude for helping to reduce their period of suffering as they eagerly await the great reward of realizing the Beatific Vision.

And, so, as with any campaign to achieve a valuable and cherished prize, we start with a plan.

The first obstacle to frequent, daily, morning and night prayer is time. Our days and our nights are so filled with important and necessary activities that there is no time for more.

A second obstacle is that, for some of us, prayer — even, or especially, the rosary — is so monotonous. Why 53 Hail Marys and four Our Fathers? Why keep saying the same prayers every day? It ends up being just a bunch of words . . .

A third problem is that I can't remember to say prayers every day. I just have so much to do. And when I remember, it is often late at night and I am too tired, or fall asleep.

All of these are realistic obstacles and therefore ones that need some careful consideration.

Time is valuable and all of us use our time for the things that are most important to us and, as a result, a full and consistent prayer life frequently suffers. Time: 15 minutes in the morning and 15 minutes in the evening is a total of 1/48th of the day. It's there to be used for our spiritual benefit and to aid in the preparation for our eternal salvation. If we take seriously the requirement for preparation for death, we will find 15 minutes in the morning either by getting up a little earlier, or cutting out some less important activity, or moving more quickly on our other chores, or a combination of all three. The fact is that we do not schedule our lives that rigidly, but maybe just a bit of scheduling would make us happier and our lives more rewarding.

The objective with time is to give precedence to prayer in the morning. First, before all else, what about greeting Jesus and Mary with the beautiful offering prayer: "Dear Jesus, through the Immaculate Heart of Mary, I offer thee all my prayers, works, joys and sufferings of this day for the intentions of Your Most Sacred Hearts, in union with the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass throughout the world, in reparation for my sins, for the intentions of the Holy Father, and in particular (and here state your most desired intentions, e.g., for the Souls in Purgatory, for a happy death, for my parents' health, etc.) . . ."

Consider, in less than two minutes of focused prayer: the dedication of your life for this whole day to these many wonderful purposes!

Consider, if said at the start of the day, in thoughtful contemplation, how interesting and challenging this "Offering" can be! To have a meaning for our pain and suffering, which we must bear anyway, only this way it becomes a source of grace and an aid to holiness!

Consider this prayer said on my knees, in thoughtful contemplation of the words, as opposed to being said in the car on the highway or beltway, competing for space and position with other harried drivers.

Finally, create a small shrine close to where you arise, or, if you are a married couple and rise at the same time, in a place of mutual convenience. On that shrine, memorial cards of parents or other family members, of the Holy Family, a relic of a treasured saint, and a crucifix, make for greater concentration and devotion. In time, that small shrine will take on greater meaning and provide stimulus to devotion and can increase holiness with a vigil light and a small vase of real or artificial flowers. It will draw you to your knees both on arising and retiring. Your petitions and special prayers can find a welcome spot there.

We still have available for prayer most of our 15 minutes in the morning, and so, for those for whom the rosary has special appeal, that prayer given to us by Our Lady would be an excellent decision. We say it in the early morning and are able to walk inside the house while doing so, thus avoiding the problems of weather, hills, traffic, etc. Moreover, we add our own short ejaculation before each decade, namely, "Mary, please come and bring the world back to peace and morality." At the end of each decade we say the well-known short prayer: "Dear Jesus, forgive us our sins, bring all souls to heaven, especially those in most need of your mercy." They are meaningful prayers and also give a break in the repetition which some people dislike. We also include a short hymn part way through the rosary, e.g., "O Lord, I Am Not Worthy," or "Immaculate Mary," on Fridays, "To Jesus' Heart All Burning," etc. Important to include is the intention for which the rosary is being said. All of these help to deal with the danger of monotony. On Saturdays and Sundays, during our rosary, we sing the very beautiful hymn: "O Lord, I Am Not Worthy." It adds a great deal to one's fervor and love of the Eucharist and helps banish monotony!

Now comes the end of the day and a time when contemplation of the desire for a happy death and the hope for eternal life with Christ is likely to be more acceptable. Here, too, particular prayers designed by Mother Church are particularly efficacious. One which may be said often during the day, and with great meaning before the crucifix, is the following:

Anima Christi

Soul of Christ, be my sanctification;
Body of Christ, be my salvation;
Blood of Christ, fill all my veins;
Water from Christ's side, wash out my stains;
Passion of Christ, my comfort be;
O Good Jesus, listen to me.
In Thy wounds, I fain would hide;
Ne'er to be parted from Thy side;
Guard me when the foe assails me;
Guide me when my feet shall fail me;
Bid me come to Thee above;
With Thy Saints to sing Thy love,
forever and ever.

I would like to share with you what a dear friend, a Jesuit theologian of note, taught me with regard to saying this prayer: "Immerse yourself into His wounds, concentrate on every word with intensity until you feel their meaning and your closeness to Him and His suffering."

We have used but a few minutes of our morning 15 minute allocation to pray, but the evening may use up the entire allotment of time beneficially. Some suggestions:

(1) Of course, in contemplation of not only death, but also of life — spiritual life — the Great Prayer of Penance, the Act of Contrition, certainly is a nightly prayer of great importance. None of us knows the time and the hour of his departing this life, of course, but it makes for more peaceful sleeping to have devoutly said this prayer before going off to sleep. And it can never be monotonous because we reflect in prayer on our trespasses and ask forgiveness.

(2) The prayer to our Guardian Angel, mentioned above, deserves special consideration, also, before retiring, as we commit ourselves to our Angel's protection and care. Again, it is a comforting feeling we derive from submitting to the Angel selected by Almighty God to guide us safely to our eternal home. We all know the famous prayer, but perhaps some, via the passing of time, may have become a bit rusty, so here it is:

Angel of God, my guardian dear,
To whom God's love commits me here,
Ever this day be at my side,
To light and guard, to rule and guide. Amen.

Note: Any time available from our allocation can be filled with prayer and conversation with your friend and protector, and don't forget to select the name that best aids in the quest for a happy death!

We experience a terrible spiritual loss by the failure to make time before every Mass we attend in order to prepare for the incomprehensible mystery which unfolds in our presence as, in the words of St. Jerome, "The priest calls Christ into being by his consecrated lips."

Pope Gregory XV confirms this thought with the prayer he urged priests to say before Mass: "I am about to celebrate Mass and to call into being the Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ" (from The Mass: Its Mysteries Revealed, p. 15). At each Mass we attend, at every Mass celebrated throughout the world, by the action of the priest, Christ undergoes His passion and death in our presence.

Knowing that we shall soon receive our Savior and Redeemer, Jesus Christ, Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity, are we not compelled to prepare for this incomprehensible mystery to take place in our very presence?

In writing about the wonder of the mysteries of the Mass, St. Bonaventure writes: "The Holy Mass is as full of mysteries as the ocean is of drops, or as the sky is full of stars, or the courts of heaven are of angels. For in it so many mysteries are daily performed that I should be at a loss to say whether greater or more lofty wonders have ever been accomplished by Divine Omnipotence."

Then on days we attend Mass, why not take five of our 15 minutes to say one (or both) of the beautiful "Prayers Before Mass and Communion" by St. Thomas Aquinas and St. Jerome? I find both inspirational and such a treasure to offer for my prayer for a Happy Death and to include in the intentions for my family. Here is the former for any of our readers who are not familiar with it:

Prayer of St. Thomas Aquinas

O, Almighty and Eternal God, behold I approach the Sacrament of Your only-begotten Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. I come as one sick to the physician of life, as one unclean to the source of all mercy, as one blind to the light of the eternal sun, as one poor and needy to the Lord of heaven and earth.

I beseech You, therefore, out of the abundance of Your immense goodness, deign to heal my infirmity, cleanse me from my sins, illumine my blindness, enrich my poverty, clothe my nakedness. Grant that I may receive the Bread of angels, the King of kings, the Lord of lords, with as much uprightness of purpose and intention, as may be profitable to the salvation of my soul.

Grant me, I beseech You, to receive not only the Sacrament of the Lord's body and blood, but also the grace and virtue of the Sacrament. Oh most merciful God, grant me so to receive the body of Your only Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, which He took from Mary, ever Virgin, that I may merit to be incorporated into His mystical body, and numbered amongst His members. Oh most loving Father, grant that Your beloved Son, Whom, now hidden beneath the sacramental veil, I propose to receive, I may at length contemplate forever, face to face; Who with Thee lives and reigns in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, world without end, Amen.

Moving to the "Prayers After Communion," we notice that virtually lost is the practice of saying the "Prayer Before the Crucifix." How this can be so is astonishing, because it is both beautiful and highly indulgenced. And most of us still remember it and, if we are not saying it and applying the benefits to a happy death, for ourselves, and/or others, it is sad:

Prayer Before a Crucifix

Look down upon me, good and gentle Jesus, while before Your face I humbly kneel, and with burning soul pray and beseech You to fix deep in my heart lively sentiments of faith, hope and charity, true contrition for my sins, and a firm purpose of amendment.

Meanwhile, I contemplate with great love and tender pity Your five most precious wounds, pondering over them within me, and calling to mind the words which David in prophecy made You say concerning Yourself, my Jesus: "They have pierced My hands and feet, they have numbered all My bones."

* * * * *

It is difficult to return to the world after receiving the Body of Christ without expressing our thanks to God in the extraordinarily beautiful thanksgiving prayer of St. Thomas Aquinas: "I render thanks to You, O Lord, Holy Father, everlasting God, Who has vouchsafed, not for any merits of mine, but of Your great mercy only, to feed me, a sinner, Your unworthy servant, with the precious Body and Blood of Your Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ, and I pray that this Holy Communion may not be for my judgment and condemnation, but for my pardon and salvation. Let it be unto me an armor of faith and a shield of good purpose, a riddance of all vices, and a rooting out of all evil desires, an increase of love and patience, of humility and obedience, and of all virtues, a firm defense against the wiles of all my enemies, visible and invisible; a perfect quieting of all my impulses, fleshly and spiritual, a cleaving unto You, the one true God, and a blessed consummation of my end when You call. And I pray that You will vouchsafe to bring me, a sinner, to that feast, where You, with Your Son and the Holy Spirit, are to Your holy ones true light, fullness of blessedness, everlasting joy, and perfect happiness. Through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.

* * * *

St. Thomas seems to be preparing us for that ultimate moment for all of us when we are about to leave this temporal life. It is a rare treasure of a prayer in that it is a complete expression of our plea for God's mercy at the time of our death, as well as a spiritual guide for going on with our life here on earth.

It is time to return to the obvious question of many: "Does He really want me to spend all my life thinking of the 'end of my life?' I'm busy with living, not dying. There is plenty of time to prepare for death."

Well, the "time" to be used in preparation is hardly "all your life" although in a sense it is, since it may result in a bit of a change that may become permanent. And that's the point of it, isn't it? To make a change in the use of time that may bring great rewards. And, if we should be taken suddenly in the midst of our prayers, wouldn't that be our most ardent desire? It is from Him that we receive all the time that we have and our prayer life is but a small portion that we give back to Him, and it is for our benefit that we use it to prepare for a "happy death," not morbidly, or as a distasteful chore, but in joy and praise to Him, Who is the source of all Joy, in hope for His mercy and forgiveness.

There is something efficacious in saying our prayers while kneeling. It is a form of mild sacrifice, but, more importantly, it tends to exclude distraction and emphasizes the gravity of my full attention on my communication with Almighty God. It separates all things done during the day, of temporal pleasure or importance, from these few minutes with my Creator and Judge. It says that this is "serious business" with my Lord and God and I kneel reverently and gladly before Him.

The rigorous requirements of the Catholicism of earlier years have seemingly faded away, and with their passing a sense that "all will be saved" has pervaded much of the faithful. It vitiates the resolve for sacrifice and perfection and ultimately puts us in peril. Saving our souls is an every day, every hour battle in a world wallowing in greed, pleasure and vice. The price for salvation is constant prayer which can be made a joyful obligation.

George "Pat" Morse, 87, is associate editor of Inside the Vatican.

© Urbi et Orbi Communications

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