Dealing with the idea of death is difficult when you are young when both life and death are still pretty new things. Death is unfamiliar and frightening then, hard to understand. It makes you feel vulnerable and insecure. As we all age, we likely experience death many times and in various ways. We hear stories and lose some of our friends and relatives to old age, disease and accidents. Hopefully experiencing death does not make us cold or insensitive to the reality of it, but rather just more accepting of it.
The truth is that life is really just our journey to death. Those who believe in a divine plan look at life as our journey back to God, and so we make the most of our years striving to do His will and hoping for the bliss of heaven. This hope of eternal life somehow makes the idea of death bearable. As we age it becomes easier to accept that our years are limited. At some point we make a decision to make the most of our life and then plan the best we can for death. Nevertheless, dying can be hard. Some people pray for a peaceful death but not everyone gets that.
Those who are suffering leading up to death give others the opportunity to help them manage their last days (or years) with ease and dignity. It is hard to imagine a kinder or more compassionate thing for one human being to do for another than to assist them in this final stage of life.
I’d like to share a prayer pertinent to this topic. The title is Latin for “Body of Christ”
Anima Christi
Soul of Christ, sanctify me.
Body of Christ, save me.
Blood of Christ, inebriate me.
Water from the side of Christ, wash me.
Passion of Christ, save me.
Oh good Jesus hear me.
Within Thy wounds hide me.
Never let me be separated from Thee.
From the malignant enemy defend me.
At the hour of my death, call me.
And bid me come to Thee.
That with Thy saints I may praise Thee.
Forever and ever. Amen.
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