By Bishop James Conley
Throughout the centuries, artists have depicted saints near a skull. Sometimes the saint has a skull on his desk, or maybe he’s holding it in his hand while deep in thought.
The intention of this artistic expression is clear: the saints never lost sight of the reality of their death. As they went about their prayer and daily work, they were well aware of their mortality.
To our modern ears, gazing frequently at a skull throughout the day might sound like a dark, even morbid practice. To be clear, we should not become engrossed in and preoccupied by the reality of death. We should not be immoderately consumed by the reality of death, which might cause anxiety and fear.
The practice of gazing at a skull would be an example of a memento mori, or “remembrance of death” in the tradition of Catholic spirituality. Many things can be a memento mori, that is, things that help us remember our deaths.
We might say that this very time of year in Nebraska is a memento mori for us. The annual harvest is the reaping of what has been growing throughout the year. As the leaves turn color and fall, we see things in nature die this time of year. Even the pace of our lives slows down a bit as winter approaches.
During this month of November, the Church gives us the opportunity to remember those who have gone before us. On Nov. 1, we celebrated the Solemnity of All Saints. This is a celebration of the lives of all who are in heaven right now, who have fought the good fight here on earth—and who now see the Lord face to face.
The Church often formally canonizes saints, as she canonized five new saints Oct. 13. In the Church’s liturgical calendar, we celebrate the feasts of saints throughout the year. But the Solemnity of All Saints is special because it includes those saints who are never formally canonized, but known to God. We beg God that we too might join the awesome company of saints, gazing on the face of Christ for all eternity.
On Nov. 2 we celebrated All Souls Day, and the month of November is the month of All Souls, when we pray more intensely for those who will see the Heavenly Father, but whose souls need purification. Their purification is assisted by our prayers.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church states, “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” (CCC 1030).
The souls in purgatory have passed from this world in the state of sanctifying grace. They died in union with God, and they will one day enter into eternal glory.
Even though the souls in purgatory will enter into eternal glory, they require further purification of their souls. The Book of the Revelation says that nothing unholy can enter the presence of God (Rev 21: 27). In the Gospels, our Lord himself tells his disciples to “be perfect as your Heavenly Father is perfect” (Mt 5:48).
In asking for the prayers of the saints, and in praying for the souls that seek further purification, we recall the reality of our own death for a holy purpose. The remembrance of our death helps order our lives.
We live in an age of highly sophisticated medical practice, where dedicated medical personnel are able to keep us healthier and live longer by fighting and sometimes curing deadly disease.
What a blessing this is! Life is a precious gift from God. And yet, given our medical advancements and modern creature comforts, we may be tempted to forget that our time on earth will come to an end. We may be tempted to avoid thinking about our death.
As Christians we know that at death life has changed, not ended. Through the Paschal Mystery, Jesus conquered death, and he offers us a share in his resurrection.
St. Alphonsus Liguori, the founder of the Redemptorist religious order and a Doctor of the Church, wrote a book titled, “Preparation for Death.” In this book he exhorts readers to think about how we make use of our time.
St. Alphonsus said, “And you, my brother, how are you spending [your] time? And for what reason do you put off until tomorrow that which you can do today? Remember that the time which is already past away is no longer yours: the future is not in your power; the present time alone you have for doing good.”
Having a healthy remembrance of our death reminds us that our time is a priceless, but fleeting, gift. To remember our own death is not a morbid activity. It keeps us in contact with reality, and causes us to desire to be with the Lord forever.
