(The death of St. Malachy in the arms of St. Bernard at Clairvaux, as depicted in St. Peter's Church in Drogheda, Eire. St. Malachy fervently prayed for the grace to die at Clairvaux (meaning he wanted to retire there), and on a visit to his friend St. Bernard, he became ill and died. We never know the day nor the hour!)
I love how the Catholic Church teaches us to look at death. Since everyone has to face it sooner or later (nothing is sure in life except death and taxes), how awful it would be to go through life in constant fear of something that is going to happen no matter what we do. It reminds me of how we view labor and childbirth. It's frightening and painful, but everyone looks to the result - a beautiful new baby in the world. As Catholics, we look to death; we know it will be frightening and painful, but we know that in the end we will find God -- the One we have been seeking since our creation.
I'm consoled by something a priest told us on an Ignatian retreat when talking about death and judgement. Our personal judgement will take place at the very moment of our death, in the very place of our death. So if we die in a car crash in the middle of Baseline and Central (Phoenix) or Smoky Hill and Buckley (Denver), or Routes 25 and 59 (Monroe, Connecticut), Our Lord Jesus Christ will appear to us right there at that exact moment and judge our eternity.
Somehow that comforts me. I won't be flown up to some huge tribunal somewhere, which I can't even picture, before a whole bunch of angels and saints I haven't met yet, at that first moment when I enter eternity. No, the same Lord Jesus Who comes to me in Holy Communion, and Whose Month of the Sacred Heart we're celebrating, will meet me at that infinitesimal second when my soul leaves my body. I pray that His Mother will come with Him too, to plead my cause....
Jesus, Mary, Joseph, we love Thee, save our souls!
From a sudden and unprovided death, O Lord deliver us!
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