Page 42 - HQ May June July 2020

“Death is

not the end.
We were

made for life.

We were
made for joy.

And in Christ,

that life and joy

will be ours...

but we can
live it now.”

stayed with me, this vision of the masses of humanity atoned for our sins and opened the gates to Heaven
— from Adam and Eve and the men and women who for all who followed him. But it also changed the very
died on 9/11 to those dying, even as I write, from a meaning of death for those united to him. It “trans-
horrible virus that literally takes your breath away. As formed the curse of death into a blessing”, making
I watch the news unfold, I can’t help but think of them death the door that leads to everlasting life with God
all, still living, still waiting, still anticipating, whether in (CCC 1009).
fear or hope, the Last Day. Quoting Saint Paul, the Catechism explains:
From Curse to Blessing Because of Christ, Christian death has a positive
meaning: “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain” .
In death, the divide between hope and fear is un- . . What is essentially new about Christian death is this:
bridgeable. Each of the waiting dead knows what will through Baptism, the Christian has already ‘died with
happen to them at the time of the Final Judgment. Christ’ sacramentally, in order to live a new life; and if
They know if their body will be resurrected to death we die in Christ’s grace, physical death completes this
or to life. Those who hope, hope with certainty. Those “dying with Christ” and so completes our incorpora-
who fear, fear with equal certainty. They all know what tion into him in His redeeming act (CCC 1010).
they freely chose in life — heaven or hell —and they
know the time for making another choice has passed. That is to say, for those who die in Christ’s grace,
Christ the Judge has pronounced their fate, and that death isn’t a solitary act; it’s “a participation in the
fate is sealed. death of the Lord”, and when we die with the Lord, we
also rise with the Lord; we participate in his resurrec-
ut here and now, the chasm between hope and fear can tion (CCC 1006).
be crossed. We don’t have to dread the end of this earthly
This participation changes everything. The
Blife. We don’t have to live in terror about what comes af- Church’s liturgy reminds us of this. “Lord, for your
ter we close our eyes for the last time. No matter how far we’ve faithful people life is changed, not ended” we hear the
run from God, no matter how often we’ve chosen against him priest say at funeral Masses. “When the body of our
and his ways, we still have time to make another choice. Like earthly dwelling lies in death we gain an everlasting
the Prodigal Son, we can run back to the Father’s house and dwelling place in heaven.”
know that he will welcome us with open arms, transforming
our fear of death into hope for life. When we know death is not the end, when we
know that death is just the beginning of everlasting
The fear so many of us feel in the face of death joy, everlasting life, and everlasting communion with
is, of course, natural. We weren’t made for death. We the One we love, hope drives out fear. It makes us long
were made for life. for death. It makes us long to be with Christ in a world
Jesus came to release us from our fear of death, where there is no suffering, no pain, no loss. This is
though. The loving obedience he offered on the cross why St. Francis could pray: u

www.michaeljournal.org MICHAEL May/June/July 2020 43