Keep Death Daily before Your Eyes



In his Holy Rule, St. Benedict advises his monks to keep death daily before their eyes. That sounds a bit morbid but is actually a worthy practice. Since none of us knows the day or the hour when we will breathe our last breath, it behooves us to be ready when God calls us.

If we knew this day would be our last, we certainly would live it the best way we possibly could. That means we would forgive anyone who has hurt us and seek forgiveness of those we have harmed.  It would also make us contact family members and friends to tell them we love them, especially if we have not talked to them lately. Another thing we would want to do is avoid wasting time on trivial things and do what is important to us, which might mean taking a walk outside and savoring the beauty of nature, or making a loved one’s favorite meal, or visiting someone in a care center who is ill or lonely, or reading a good book we have been putting off for a while.

We also might want to clean out some closets or drawers, or mark possessions we want others to have after our death. Some people plan their funerals and designate who will perform certain parts of the service.

Of course, some say they would just do what they ordinarily do, but others want to be better prepared. In any case, it is a good idea to realize this might be the last day we have and pray for a happy death. 

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