HumanitySpirituality
Death
quick ideas about death. What happens in death and after death? Sadness and realism before death. Can death be prepared for?
EspañolA. What happens in death and after death?
1. Why do we die?
The soul is spiritual and cannot die; but we die because besides being spiritual we are material; and what is material divides or corrupts. In the beginning God granted Adam and Eve the gift of bodily immortality, but they lost it through original sin. Since then all men die.
2. What happens in death?
Death consists in the separation of the soul and the body. It takes place when the body deteriorates so much that the soul is incapable of keeping it alive. Then the rupture occurs. The body without the soul becomes a corpse. The soul, on the other hand, goes toward its destiny.
3. What happens to the soul after death?
This question can be answered better with the help of faith, accepting what Jesus Christ taught us. According to this, immediately after death the so-called particular judgment takes place, where God our Lord judges each person. The sentence of this judgment can be threefold:
- To heaven go those who die in the grace of God. There they enjoy the greatest happiness without any mixture of evil, and forever.
- To hell go those who die in mortal sin. There eternal punishments are suffered.
- To purgatory go those who die in the grace of God but with the soul less bright than necessary to go to heaven. In purgatory there are great sufferings but also hope, since they know that after being purified they will see God.
4. Without the help of faith, can one know if there is something after death?
One can know that the soul is spiritual (since we perform spiritual operations such as understanding this webpage). Being spiritual, it is immortal (since only material beings can be split or decay). And since the soul does not die, it is known that there is another life after death.
5. Without the help of faith, is it known if there are rewards and punishments after death?
B. Sadness and realism before death
1. Why does death worry us?
It is normal that death saddens us since we desire to preserve life. However, death worries less those who know that afterwards there is another life. If one thinks about what is left behind, sadness arises; if one thinks about the life that awaits us, the anguish diminishes.
2. What to do so that death worries us less?
To diminish the sadness before death, it is recommended to live the Christian life well: going to confession often, praying... If closeness to and trust in God grows, fears diminish. Another advice is to remember divine filiation, since what will a child of God, a child of Mary, fear?
3. Is it wrong to think about death?
It is neither wrong nor pessimistic. It is healthy realism. Sometimes thinking about death gives peace, since the difficulties of life do not last forever. At the end of the battle, the happiness of eternal life beside God awaits us.
4. Healthy realism?
We are going to die. With complete certainty. It is a reality that no one doubts. No one disputes. It is totally certain. And it affects human life greatly, so that prudence invites us to approach life taking into account the undeniable reality of death.
5. How to approach life this way?
The certainty of death brings realism to life in various matters:
- Making use of time: the time available for doing good is limited.
- The relative value of material goods: they are useful if they enable the carrying out of the good works that lead to eternal happiness.
- The body possesses great dignity and must be protected, but in the end it dies and rots, while the soul remains. Therefore it is fitting to give greater importance to the care of the soul. One's own and others'.
- After death comes the judgment of God, and it is fitting to live disposed to be judged, maintaining the desire with works of gaining heaven.
C. Can death be prepared for?
1. Can death be prepared for?
Although death may come unexpectedly, it is possible to be prepared so that whenever death comes, the result is going to heaven. And thus it is important to live in the grace of God, with the soul clean of mortal sins, going to confession when necessary. If one also wishes to avoid purgatory, it will be useful to make reparation for sins through sacrifices and good works. In summary, the best preparation for death is to lead a holy life. Another good resource is the scapular.
2. And if death is already seen as near?
When death is seen as near, it is fitting to prepare for the encounter with God. Several things are recommended:
- Receiving several sacraments; in this order: Confession (especially if there are mortal sins), Anointing of the sick (which precisely helps at those moments), and Communion.
- Increasing prayer and the desire for heaven; fostering piety, for example, kissing a crucifix.
- Renewing the intention of gaining indulgences. It is especially worthwhile to gain the plenary indulgence that the Church grants at the moment of death, directing one to heaven without passing through purgatory.