During the month of November, the Church calls attention to the afterlife. In terms of liturgical feasts, the month starts off with a bang. The Solemnity of All Saints (November 1st) celebrates not just the saints whose names we know, but all those in heaven that do not have a reserved spot on the liturgical calendar. On the following day, we commemorate the Holy Souls in Purgatory (November 2nd).  The Church opens special indulgences applicable to the Holy Souls from Nov. 1 - 8. Special offerings of indulgences on behalf of the Holy Souls are available throughout the rest of the month as well. 

What these two feast days have in common is death. Western culture remains largely terrified of it, but it need not be so. When seen from the eyes of faith, death is a doorway to the afterlife. Having a wise, spiritual guide aids us greatly. For this reflection on death, our guide will be Servant of God Cora Evans and her Letter Lessons (LL).  

The first principle is the most obvious—death is inescapable. We get easily attached to material things, but death should remind us of their fleeting nature. Cora uses the image of flying in an airplane. How small all our possessions look—and how useless they are in providing security at 16,000 feet (she wrote these letters in the mid-1950s). The earth, too, for its immense natural beauty, comes into perspective: “it belongs to God.  All things on earth He has only loaned to us that through them we may love Him more and use them as charity, gifts, and needs for ourselves” (LL #12, pg. 94). With these ideas in mind, there is an objective nature to the reality of death.  

Besides death being inescapable, it is out of our control (regardless of our efforts to the contrary). “This minute we live; the next we are not sure of” (LL #11, pg. 82). Our lived experience bears this out, and I’m sure every person has known someone who passed away suddenly.  

If the mortality discussion ends there, I see a simple and potent recipe for anxiety. The Catholic faith, however, brings good news into the conversation. The good news about death can be briefly summarized by the three theological virtues of faith, hope, and charity. “Therefore, we must hope and know we are in the state of grace. If so, what have we to fear (see Is 43:25)?” (LL #11, pg. 82) Into the darkest moment of human life—death—Jesus is there with grace to help us persevere in faith, maintain a hope that drives out fear, and do all those things in charity. This is good news indeed!  

“Through His victorious death on the cross at Jerusalem, Our Savior opened to us the gates of the heavenly Jerusalem” (LL #17, pg. 134). When we have heaven as our ultimate destination (God willing)—eternal abiding with the Holy Trinity—death can easier be seen as a doorway rather than an impenetrable wall. Looking ahead with heaven in mind, Cora tells us that “death is a must and should be looked upon as something wonderful and joyous for souls who have loved God” (LL #9, pg. 65). St. Paul described heaven to the Corinthians: “what no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man conceived, what God has prepared for those who love Him” (1 Corinthians 2:9)—in other words, union with God. Compared to that union, St. Paul starkly contrasts earthly possessions, honors, and riches as loss and even refuse (Phil 3:7-8). I think most Catholics would agree, though with varying degrees of zeal. Even with the promise of heaven, death is still a heavy matter for some of the best among us. 

How do we get from a state of anxiety to looking at death as wonderful and joyous? 

First, as mentioned above, stay in a state of grace. Pray daily; go to Mass weekly; go to confession regularly. Second, look for ordinary ways to meditate on death. By slowly thinking more about death in simple ways, we can become more accustomed to it. Cora suggests thinking about going to sleep. “Bedtime is the time for us to think about death. Our bed is the tomb. As we take our rest, we may examine ourselves. Are we ready if the dawn does not make for us another day? Is our body, soul, and spirit ready?” (LL #2, pg. 27)

Third, seek peace in relationship with Christ.  In the twelfth Letter Lesson, Cora writes much on this topic. In the peace of Christ, “as above the earth in a plane may the truer love and praise expressions be given from human heart to God…Calm comes when there is peace” (pg. 95). Death doesn’t end that relationship; for the soul that dies in a state of grace, that relationship gives us new eyes to see, new ears to hear, and a heart fully alive. 

Let us heed our guide, Cora Evans, and remember that Jesus seeks to draw us closer to His Sacred Heart—and death is no exception.