Death has become something our modern world sanitizes with euphemisms and "celebrations of life." We avoid speaking directly about mortality, even among Christians. But what if our understanding of death is fundamentally flawed?

The Gospel presents us with a profound truth about death – it's not the end of life, but merely a passage to something greater. When Jesus says Lazarus is merely sleeping before raising him from the dead, He's revealing something essential about our human condition. What we habitually call "life" in the natural sense isn't true life at all. True life is supernatural life, our participation in divine life.

This understanding transforms everything about how we approach death. For those who die in a state of grace, "life is changed, not taken away," as the beautiful preface of the Mass for the Dead tells us. Gone is the need to fear or avoid the subject of mortality. Instead, we can speak openly with our children about death, pray for those in their final agony, and remember that a "happy death" has nothing to do with physical comfort and everything to do with spiritual readiness.

During these final weeks of Lent, let's reclaim these powerful spiritual truths. Make time for devotions like the Stations of the Cross, especially on Fridays. Listen to the haunting beauty of the Stabat Mater. Most importantly, cultivate those daily practices that keep us mindful of our mortality without succumbing to fear: make an act of acceptance regarding your own death, foster the virtue of hope, pray for those approaching death, and remember the faithful departed through prayer, Masses, and indulgences.

What state do you hope to be in when your final moment comes? How might embracing rather than avoiding the reality of death transform your daily life? Join us as we continue our Lenten journey toward the mystery of Christ's death and resurrection.

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