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Memento Mori/Anne

Updated: Mar 1, 2020


Memento Mori - “Remember your death and you will not sin


Dear readers, if you’re looking to try a unique spiritual practice this Lent, on top of the usual prayers and devotions, perhaps here is one you can try. I must preface that this might not be for everyone, due to the heavier nature of the subject matter; but it is always good to reflect on our own humanity and calling from God.


Memento mori, or Latin literally meaning “Remember your death”, is a Christian practice dating from medieval Christianity. I first learnt of this practice through Sister Theresa Aletheia, from the Daughters of Saint Paul, who is helping to revive this practice in the modern Church. However, it must first be addressed, before we dive into what this practice means for us as Catholic Christians, let us first define what the practice is not.


It is not to dwell on the concept of death and be paralysed out of melancholy or fear of it, rather, it is to remember that we are mortal human beings. It is to help us remember that we were made for more. As Christians baptized in the body of Christ, we should aim to emulate Christ until the very end, to live our unique purpose set out by God the Creator.


Memento mori is based in Scripture. Sirach 7:36 summarizes memento mori. “In all you do, remember the end of your life, and then you will never sin.” In Genesis 3:19, “...you are dust, and to dust you shall return.” As Christians, we know well that this human life is fleeting, and our true calling is eternal life with God in Paradise. Very simply, if we remember that one day we will meet God, we will try with our best efforts to live righteously, knowing that we will be judged at the end of our lives.


Going beyond remembering our own mortality, we also remember Christ’s triumph over death on the Cross in this practice. When we remember that we belong to the Lord, we need not fear death. Rather, we would be more at peace knowing that the Lord is with us always, until the end.


So how might we practice memento mori in our daily lives, especially this Lent? Sister Theresa Aletheia suggests a few things, beyond meditating on our death, firstly, prayer. We can pray for those who have gone before us, and we can also pray for ourselves, that we will pass from this life peacefully and see God at the end of our earthly lives.


For those who are praying the Rosary this Lent, perhaps offering a decade for someone we know who has departed. We should also reflect on our words and actions, and whether we have been living in a Christ-like manner. The daily Examen is also a good practice which goes hand in hand with memento mori. You can also journal as well. As the topic of death in memento mori might bring anxiety and other emotions which are perfectly human, we can write our fears and feelings, also entrusting these to prayer.


For myself, I have a copy of Sister Theresa’s Memento Mori Lenten devotional that I intend to use for my reflection this Lent. I will also try to pray especially for those who are dying, and the departed, for this is also a Spiritual Work of Mercy prescribed by the Church.


I will also be praying for everyone who might read this, that as we journey through Lent, which is also a recollection of Christ’s death, resurrection and Ascension; we will hold steadfast in hope and courage that everything is in the hands of the Lord, and we need not be anxious, for He is with us always.


I conclude with a prayer to St. Joseph, who is often invoked for intercessions involving death, for he was surrounded by our Blessed Mother and our Lord at his death. Perhaps you can use this in your prayers this Lent, and may it bring comfort.


Saint Joseph, protector of the dying, I ask you to intercede for the dying, and I invoke your assistance in the hour of my own death. You had a happy passing and a holy life, and in your last hours you had the great consolation of being assisted by Jesus and Mary. Deliver me from sudden death; obtain for me the grace to imitate you in life, to detach my heart from everything worldly, and daily to gather treasures for the moment of my death. Obtain for me the grace to receive the sacraments of the sick, and with Mary, fill my heart with sentiments of faith, hope and love, and sorrow for sins, so that I may breathe forth my soul in peace. Amen.


- A prayer by Blessed James Alberione, founder of the Daughters of Saint Paul


God bless you and keep you.


Remember your death,


Anne


Anne is a trainer who helps conduct programs in schools that help bring out the best in young people. She hopes to emulate Mary's fiat, living the faith authentically in her work and daily life. She also enjoys creating brush calligraphy artas a form of expressing her faith. You can find her on Instagram at @annehannahs.








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