The pope died maybe fifteen minutes ago.
Earlier in the day, reflecting on all the news coverage of his life, I was impressed by how many people held such great admiration and love for Pope John Paul II. There have been numerous moving tributes.
It confirms the fact that everyone deep down believes in truth, in goodness. Even non-Catholics and unbelievers respect and love this man because of what he represented in his actions: the love of God. The Catholic Church is often ridiculed, mocked, and impugned, and has recently been hit hard by scandals, but the Light in John Paul II's life shines through it all.
In contrast, imagine if a widely known drug dealer, prostitute, or porn star died. How would he or she be remembered? Would people say, "She gave joy and happiness to so many men"? "She helped improve the love life of hundreds and thousands of fans"? "He enabled people to take their mind off their troubles"?
No, there would be no such adulation, because deep down we all know their lives were ill spent. We can't help but praise that which is good. This is a testament to the "natural law" that God instilled in each of us.
I am not horribly grieved over the pope's passing. "Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints" (Psalm 116:15). It is sad, but on the other hand, "to live is Christ and to die is gain" (Philippians 1:21). Our pope is now in God's hands, and he is undoubtedly experiencing unspeakable joy.
We can all be thankful that he showed us how to live, how to suffer, and how to die.
The Catechsim of the Catholic Church speaks on the Christian vision of death:
1012 The Christian vision of death receives privileged expression in the liturgy of the Church:
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.
1013 Death is the end of man's earthly pilgrimage, of the time of grace and mercy which God offers him so as to work out his earthly life in keeping with the divine plan, and to decide his ultimate destiny. When "the single course of our earthly life" is completed, we shall not return to other earthly lives: "It is appointed for men to die once." There is no "reincarnation" after death.
1014 The Church encourages us to prepare ourselves for the hour of our death. In the ancient litany of the saints, for instance, she has us pray: "From a sudden and unforeseen death, deliver us, O Lord"; to ask the Mother of God to intercede for us "at the hour of our death" in the Hail Mary; and to entrust ourselves to St. Joseph, the patron of a happy death.
Every action of yours, every thought, should be those of one who expects to die before the day is out. Death would have no great terrors for you if you had a quiet conscience .... Then why not keep clear of sin instead of running away from death? If you aren't fit to face death today, it's very unlikely you will be tomorrow ....
Praised are you, my Lord, for our sister bodily Death,
from whom no living man can escape.
Woe on those who will die in mortal sin!
Blessed are they who will be found
in your most holy will,
for the second death will not harm them.
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