Truth and reality exist with or without our consent. The worldly mentality today is to put bandaids on mortal wounds, and take pills to cover up symptoms of disease. And it’s easier now than ever to avoid or even escape reality, at least for allotted periods of time.
Whether it’s emotional, physical, or spiritual pain, discomfort or stress, there are many cures by drink, bite, smoke, needle, or otherwise. And when hungover or having withdrawals there are supplements one can take to ease that suffering too.

Modern medicine enables, and technology provides as our new great escape. Today we might think of the early monastic hospitallers as those who cared for the sick and wounded. How pleasant. But if you asked them in their time, they would say that their orders are to bury the dead. And paths from the infirmary to the graveyard behind the chapel were well worn.

While on duty recently I responded to an opiate overdose in a public facility. When I arrived the man died in my arms, though his soul had not yet left his body. When EMT’s arrived shortly after that, epinephrine was administered. I heard later that the man was revived in the ambulance as it sped to a nearby hospital and that he was recovering. After a quick investigation I learned that this was the second time he had been robbed of death by overdose; cheated out of passing on by a shot of adrenaline that would bring his heart back to a tempo.

Death is not the enemy for us as Christians, but a friend promised to come, collect, and take us on a journey to meet God and our loved ones who have gone before us - the ultimate pilgrimage. But friend or enemy, death comes for us all. And he comes often in our labored breathing, panic, pain, weariness, shock, tunneled vision, and by some tragic event, act of violence, or disease. We don’t choose the when, where or how - death chooses us. Even in suicide the odds are now stacked against us, as approximately only one in fifty attempts are successful (according to one study - some say 1 in 200).

Death is a truth and reality that we should know much about at this point in our human evolution. But one day we’ll look back on these thoughts, feelings and things we’ve jotted down and we will laugh from our high places in the after-life. For death is the first primal reason that we as humans know that religion is a necessity. No games we play with science and medicine can snuff this out. We know. We know, but we play games. We know, and this why we long for an escape.
Have you ever heard of anything more foolish?

And we know how and why this can and should be faced and dealt with, so there be no reason to go into details in this article. If you’re unsure, you have a lot of catching up to do. But I’ll just leave you with these questions to ponder and allow you to come to your own conclusions for now:

How are you doing at mastering your fear of death?
Have you feared for your life recently?
Have you been threatened with death and/or serious bodily harm in the past 90 days?
What avenues are you pursuing to train in courage, bravery and harnessing fear?
What steps are you taking to understand death and to accept your awaited passing?
Have you considered deeply all the ways in which you may meet your demise?
Are you putting yourself in situations where you must experience pain and endure hardship - physically, emotionally and spiritually?
When was the last time you worked your entire body to total failure?
When was the last time you scourged your back until bloody?
Have you completed your acts of penance this week?
Have you Memento Mori’d today?

“O my Jesus, I offer this chaplet to Your Divine Heart, that You may render it perfect, thus giving joy to Your Holy Angels, and so they may keep me under their holy protection, above all at the hour of my death to which I invite them with all my heart. Strengthened by their presence, I will await death with joy and be preserved from the assaults of hell. I beseech you also, dear Angels, to visit immediately the souls in Purgatory, especially [Name/my family/friends/benefactors]; help them so they will soon be delivered. Do not forget me either after my death. This I beg you with all my heart, through the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Amen.”
- From the Chaplet of the Holy Angels

What our souls need today is another Black Plague.