Death: A Friend and a Promise

Module in LIFE AND BEYOND

 INTRODUCTION
Life is a constant battle, full of struggles, and we always treat death as
an enemy. In fact, death is not an enemy to vanquish, but a friend to deal
with. We do not even want to imagine or entertain the thought of life’s end,
especially when we are enjoying life. Death is not a foe to wrestle with.
For us, Catholics, the considerable attention and effort we give to honor
the dead go beyond the emotional and sentimental or traditional aspects.
Our remembrance of the dead shows our belief in the afterlife. The prayers
we offer for the eternal repose of their souls mean that we believe in the
salvation of souls hereafter.
Let us remember what Christ said, “I Am the resurrection and the life;
whoever believes in Me, even if he dies, will live.” (Jn 11:25)
 | | |
CONTENT PERFORMANCE LEARNING
STANDARD STANDARD COMPETENCIES
The learner demonstrates an At the end of the discussion,
The learner should be able to
understanding of the reward or students will be able to explain
know the importance of a holy life
punishment after death and we the importance of death as a
as an acceptance of the promises
will be judged immediately return to God and as a passage to
that the Church teaches about
according to our action while we the next life by relating them to
death.
are still alive. paschal mystery.
 CHRISTIAN MESSAGE

| | |

Doctrine Moral Worship

God is unchanging. His Reflect on the actions that
Be a living witness to happy
promise from the moment we are doing while living on
and peaceful life, a life that is
we were created in the earth, have so much faith
valued in view of death as a
womb of our mother is and hope for God is our
passage to God.
constant up to the time we supreme guardian.
are buried in our own grave.
 Learning
Output
My Epitaph
Time Duration
4 hours
 I. What is death?
People describe death in different ways.
Some view it as a cruel and dreadful occurrence
that cuts life off. Others see death as a liberating
experience of accepting life’s unavoidable end.
Our definitions of death depend greatly on our
upbringing and beliefs. We have to come to
terms with death both as an inescapable reality
and as an unfathomable mystery. Death is the
door that closes to us the earthly life and opens
to us at the same time the eternal life.
 I. What is death?

Death is not an enemy to vanquish, but a

friend to deal with. Even if at times we find life
miserable and unfair, still we shun away the
thought of dying. Life is a constant battle. It is
full of struggles, and we always treat death as an
enemy. Being the greatest evil, as St. Paul says,
“the last enemy to be destroyed is death” (1 Cor
15:26). We can destroy death by befriending it.
 I. What is death?
“We will cross the bridge when we get there.” It is a
universally accepted fact that death is the end of our
earthly journey. However, the mystery that surrounds
death is all about its uncertainty. According to the
Italian adage, I vecchi devono morire; i giovani possono
morire – “Old people should die; young people can
die.” It goes to show that death knows no boundaries.
The Bible says that death comes like a thie in the
night (cf. 1 Thes 5:2; Mt 24:43). Death is gatecrasher.
The fear of the unknown envelops our whole being
and affects our whole life.
 I. What is death?
Death never ceases to appall us. It always
poses itself as a cruel enemy. This is the
description of death that Martha gave to Jesus
when He asked her where her brother Lazarus is:
“Lord, by now there will be a stench; he has been
dead for four days” (Jn 11:39). Martha and Mary
wept for the death of their brother. Jesus saw
that the Jews who came with Mary were
weeping. Jesus wept, too. This sorrowful scene is
an ordinary occurrence in any place where death
is.
 I. What is death?
Our Catholic faith teaches that death is
meaningless only to those who avoid and deny it at all
cost, but truly matters to those who confront life in
the light of Christian death. The saints understood
very well the truth behind the fact that “death-
dealing is really life-giving in the fullest sense” (Auer-
Ratzinger, 1988). When he deals with death as a
friend, our fear of death becomes holy. This holy fear
of death turns into a light that guides us along the
way toward the house of the Father where Jesus
reserved dwelling places for us (cf. Jn 14:2).
 II. The Catholic View of Death

The Church’s abundant teachings on death are anchored on the

paschal mystery of Christ that is, His Passion, Death, and
Resurrection. In the light of the paschal mystery, “the Christian who
dies in Christ Jesus is ‘away from the body and at home with the
Lord’” (CCC 1681). This Catholic view of death puts great stress on
the belief that our own “dying with Christ” is what gives our own
death its saving worth. “If we have died with Him we shall also live
with Him; if we persevere we shall also reign with Him” (2 Tm 2:11-
12). Our sharing in Christ’s death helps us to conquer our own death
by accepting it as God’s will. “Martyrs have done so, and their
deaths represent the most positive human act, the total holocaust
of love for God that ushers in eternal life” (CFC 2056).
 II. The Catholic View of Death

In death, God calls us to Himself. This

fundamental truth offers us two
concrete views of death which we
accept and teach as part of our
Catholic faith.
 II. The Catholic View of Death

First, death means "return." On Ash Wednesday, which marks the

beginning of Lent, we receive ashes in the form of a cross on our
foreheads. Upon imposing the ashes the priest says: "Turn away
from sin and be faithful to the Gospel" or "Remember that you are
dust and unto dust you shall return." The ashes remind us that we
belong to Christ as His disciples, and so we need to turn away from
sin. The ashes also remind us of our mortality. Our life on earth is
transient. When we die, our body and soul return to where they
came from. Our body, katawang lupa as we call it in Tagalog, returns
to the soil as its origin (cf. Gn 3:19; Eccl 12:7). The soul for its part
returns to God who gave it (cf. Eccl 12:7).
 II. The Catholic View of Death

Job spoke of death itself as a return. Since he

believed that he was from God, he knew that in
death God would bring him back to the "house
destined for everyone alive" (Jb 30:23). However,
the wicked and all the nations that forget God will
depart to Sheol (cf. Ps 9:18). It is to this that
several passages of the Old Testament point us-
death will return us to where we rightfully belong.
 II. The Catholic View of Death

In the New Testament, the raising of

Lazarus constantly reminds us that God
cannot only bring life from death, but that
He makes our death a return to life and to
Him (cf. Jn 11:1-44).
 II. The Catholic View of Death

Second, death means "passage" Death is a transition from

this life to the next. To understand death as a "passing over,"
we should see it as part of our incorporation in the paschal
mystery. We have a false view of death if we deny the fact,
the truth, and the mystery of Christ's resurrection. If there is
no resurrection, belief in the afterlife is absurd. If Christ did
not rise from the dead, there is no reason for all that we do
and believe here and now. Because of the resurrection, death
became a passage to life hereafter. It is for this reason that, in
their preaching, the apostles gave a constant stress on the
resurrection.
 II. The Catholic View of Death

The importance of the resurrection lies on the

fact that it opened the door that had always been
locked. Through that door, what enters is not a
ghost but a totally new mode of being—the
glorified Jesus. That open door is the foundation of
our hope of eternal life. That open door helps us to
take a fundamental posture of love and self-
detachment, instead of fear and complaints, in the
face of death.
 II. The Catholic View of Death

For us Catholics, the considerable attention and

effort we give to honor the dead go beyond the
emotional and sentimental or traditional aspects. Our
remembrance of the dead shows our belief in the
afterlife. The prayers we offer for the eternal repose of
their souls mean that we believe in the salvation of
souls hereafter. The funeral rites at home, in the
Church, and in the cemetery speak well of our faith in
Jesus Christ who said, “I Am the resurrection and the
life, whoever believes in Me, even if he dies, will live”
(Jn 11:25).
 II. The Catholic View of Death

The Christian view of death is plainly expressed in

the Church’s liturgical celebration of the Christian
funeral:

“Lord, for your faithful people life is changed, not

ended. When the body of our earthly dwelling lies in
death, We gain an everlasting dwelling place in
heaven.”
-Roman Missal, Preface of Christian Death I
DEATH as a FRIEND
Reflection Read Transforming Action
Lesson 3 of Stay with us Lord
Book 4: Life and Beyond,
then answer the guide
question under this.

What is your realization in life

after reading the article?
 Application
Draw an epitaph for yourself. Then,
answer the points to ponder on.

1. How do you feel about this activity? Explain.

2. What do you think is the importance of the epitaph?

3. What is the meaning of your self-made epitaph?

 Application

Criteria • Content
• Language
• Conventions (Grammar,
Capitalization,
Spelling and Punctuation)
• Presentation
 References
1. Panganiban, et al (2017). Road to Emmaus Series: Stay
With Us, Lord! Liturgy and Sacraments: The Phoenix
Publishing House Inc.

2. https
://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/pope-warns-of-a-
trivialized-vision-of-death-without-hope
/

3. https://
www.ncronline.org/blogs/francis-chronicles/pope-francis-
christian-hope-does-not-let-sting-death-poison-your-life
Death: A Friend and a Promise
Module in LIFE AND BEYOND