Death and Meaning

On this Good Friday, we ponder Christ’s death and the redemption it brought to our lives.

What about our deaths? What will our passing mean to others?

Memento mori is a Latin phrase meaning “remember you must die,” a traditional Catholic spiritual practice of meditating on human mortality to prioritize eternal life over earthly pursuits. It is not intended to be morbid, but rather a tool to cultivate mindfulness, prioritize what matters, and live with perspective. Memento mori calls us to live with urgency, holiness, and detachment from worldly things, preparing for death by loving God and neighbor. In other words, living with meaning.

Core Aspects of Catholic memento mori: (courtesy of Google)

• Purpose: A joyful reminder to live well in the present, aiming for heaven and avoiding sin. It helps believers live with no regrets, recognizing time is a precious, limited gift.
• Scriptural/Liturgical Basis: On Ash Wednesday we hear: “Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return” (Genesis 3:19).
• The Four Last Things: Meditate on death, judgment, heaven, and hell.
• Saintly Tradition: Many saints kept skulls or icons of death on their desks to keep heaven in mind (e.g., St. Jerome, St. Benedict, St. Mary Magdalene).
• Cultural Context: In a modern context, memento mori challenges our urge to ignore death, framing it instead as a transition to eternal life with God.

Have you ever written an obituary? Though it is a sad challenge, it can be an opportunity to focus on the life of the deceased and recount what values they held, whene they helped others, and where they found meaning.

Have you ever considered writing your own obituary? That might sound depressing, but the admission that we will die can focus our attention on what we want our lives to mean before we are gone. What do you hope others will have learned from you? What do you hope your life will have meant to them? How will you be remembered? Did you make the world a better place?

I can think of some possible answers. We hope that we raised our children to be gifts to the world. Perhaps our careers have made life better for people. Maybe we created things of beauty that inspire others. Hopefully, we spent our lives trying to do God’s will.

I have long thought I’d like to finance a well to be dug for a village that needs clean water. I haven’t done anything towards that yet, but maybe remembering my inevitable death will inspire me to action. As a couple, my husband and I would like to create memories of time with us for our grandchildren. We’ve begun to act on this one. We have taken one daughter’s family to Disneyland, and we plan a trip with another family to Yellowstone.

I attended a funeral lately, and the priest’s homily centered on the old Baltimore Catechism’s question, “Why did God make me?” If you prepared for your First Communion in the 1960s, I’m guessing you are already answering, “God made me to know Him, to love Him, and to serve Him in this world, and to be happy with Him forever in the next.” The priest went on to point out that the deceased had accomplished this. I wondered, “Have I?” I hope I have, but if doing so is what gives my life meaning, I could certainly be more mindful and focused on knowing, loving, and serving God.

How about you? Do you feel like you are doing enough with your life? Or maybe too much AND not enough of better things, of what matter most?

Talk to God. Even better, listen to God. What would he have you do today? What does he ask you to begin?

Thank you for reading over the last 7 weeks!

Prayers for you on this Good Friday, and may you enjoy a very blessed Easter!

Betty