Comments on: On the “Beauty” of Dying http://blog.adw.org/2009/11/on-the-beauty-of-dying/ Connecting the dots between Catholic faith and culture Tue, 16 Mar 2010 18:02:39 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 hourly 1 By: Melisssa http://blog.adw.org/2009/11/on-the-beauty-of-dying/comment-page-1/#comment-4975 Melisssa Wed, 27 Jan 2010 15:55:44 +0000 http://blog.adw.org/?p=4449#comment-4975 That was put so well, and very useful, until we die to ourselves, how can we live in Christ? It reminded me of a beautiful prayer the Anchoress posted a while back, "May all your expectations be frustrated, May all of your plans be thwarted. May all of your desires be withered into nothingness, That you may experience the powerlessness and poverty of a child, and sing and dance in the love of God the Father, the Son, and the Spirit." That was put so well, and very useful, until we die to ourselves, how can we live in Christ? It reminded me of a beautiful prayer the Anchoress posted a while back,

“May all your expectations be frustrated,
May all of your plans be thwarted.
May all of your desires be withered into nothingness,
That you may experience the powerlessness and poverty of a child, and sing and dance in the love of God the Father, the Son, and the Spirit.”

]]> By: Maggie http://blog.adw.org/2009/11/on-the-beauty-of-dying/comment-page-1/#comment-2786 Maggie Sat, 28 Nov 2009 19:58:23 +0000 http://blog.adw.org/?p=4449#comment-2786 Namatsi - Thanks for sharing from where you are. Could you share more? How does the culture explain the only once a year or how does the culture see the aged or the dying and the infirm? How do they see themselves? Is there any consolation or explanation to this suffering? Namatsi – Thanks for sharing from where you are. Could you share more? How does the culture explain the only once a year or how does the culture see the aged or the dying and the infirm? How do they see themselves? Is there any consolation or explanation to this suffering?

]]> By: Namatsi http://blog.adw.org/2009/11/on-the-beauty-of-dying/comment-page-1/#comment-2516 Namatsi Mon, 23 Nov 2009 13:46:00 +0000 http://blog.adw.org/?p=4449#comment-2516 Yea dying is beautyful. So much so that we the younger and healthy pack off the aged and/or dying to solitary confinement in old persons homes . A person who remembers once told me our grandparents used to keep such persons away from the rest in their own houses. Food would be delivered daily to the infirm. The person delivering the food would use the emptied plates as a sign the infirm was still alive. If the delivered food was found intact that was a sign the person had died. Thence no more deliveries. The body would be left to rot in that house which would be left to collapse. Those were those days. Has there been a change? Here where I'm we keep them away from our daily routine. They have to contend with an annual visit across Christmas time. In the course of the year we send them some cash. One important matter we demand of the old is our inheritance from them.'Dad give my share of your land befor you die. i don't want to quarrel with my brothers over the same'. Yea dying is beautyful. So much so that we the younger and healthy pack off the aged and/or dying to solitary confinement in old persons homes .
A person who remembers once told me our grandparents used to keep such persons away from the rest in their own houses. Food would be delivered daily to the infirm. The person delivering the food would use the emptied plates as a sign the infirm was still alive. If the delivered food was found intact that was a sign the person had died. Thence no more deliveries. The body would be left to rot in that house which would be left to collapse. Those were those days.
Has there been a change? Here where I’m we keep them away from our daily routine. They have to contend with an annual visit across Christmas time. In the course of the year we send them some cash. One important matter we demand of the old is our inheritance from them.’Dad give my share of your land befor you die. i don’t want to quarrel with my brothers over the same’.

]]> By: Cynthia BC http://blog.adw.org/2009/11/on-the-beauty-of-dying/comment-page-1/#comment-2476 Cynthia BC Sat, 21 Nov 2009 23:32:20 +0000 http://blog.adw.org/?p=4449#comment-2476 While we waited with our mother's body for the funeral home to pick it up, my sister mentioned that her older son had told her, "When Oma dies, don't just spring it on me. Lead up to it so I won't be so upset." That mention brought to mind the following joke, which I did NOT tell my sister. I surely am wicked enough as it is, given that I even thought of it. Guy goes out of town for a couple of weeks, and asks a neighbor to feed his cat, and to check on his mother who lives nearby. A couple of days into the trip: Guy: So, how's Fluffy? Neighbor: Fluffy's dead. Guy: *wail* How could you spring it on me like that? You should have said something like the cat is on the roof, and the next time I called say that she hadn't eaten anything, and maybe I wouldn't've been surprised. Neighbor: Oh...sorry. Guy: So, how's Mom? Neighbor: Well, she's on the roof... While we waited with our mother’s body for the funeral home to pick it up, my sister mentioned that her older son had told her, “When Oma dies, don’t just spring it on me. Lead up to it so I won’t be so upset.”

That mention brought to mind the following joke, which I did NOT tell my sister. I surely am wicked enough as it is, given that I even thought of it.

Guy goes out of town for a couple of weeks, and asks a neighbor to feed his cat, and to check on his mother who lives nearby. A couple of days into the trip:

Guy: So, how’s Fluffy?
Neighbor: Fluffy’s dead.
Guy: *wail* How could you spring it on me like that? You should have said something like the cat is on the roof, and the next time I called say that she hadn’t eaten anything, and maybe I wouldn’t've been surprised.
Neighbor: Oh…sorry.
Guy: So, how’s Mom?
Neighbor: Well, she’s on the roof…

]]> By: Joshua Dean http://blog.adw.org/2009/11/on-the-beauty-of-dying/comment-page-1/#comment-2431 Joshua Dean Fri, 20 Nov 2009 23:35:30 +0000 http://blog.adw.org/?p=4449#comment-2431 This is a wonderful reflection, Monsignor. The Catholic Church has long been the upholder of the "culture of life", but it is just as important to remember that we are, in a way, a religion of death. What I mean is that we have the unique ability to recognize beauty in death, just as you said. Martyrdom, suffering, and death are all ways in which we can be born anew in grace and love. We have a powerful message to speak to our culture about death just as we have one about life. This is a wonderful reflection, Monsignor. The Catholic Church has long been the upholder of the “culture of life”, but it is just as important to remember that we are, in a way, a religion of death. What I mean is that we have the unique ability to recognize beauty in death, just as you said. Martyrdom, suffering, and death are all ways in which we can be born anew in grace and love. We have a powerful message to speak to our culture about death just as we have one about life.

]]> By: Judy http://blog.adw.org/2009/11/on-the-beauty-of-dying/comment-page-1/#comment-2428 Judy Fri, 20 Nov 2009 21:45:30 +0000 http://blog.adw.org/?p=4449#comment-2428 What a fresh and original analysis of growing older. Thank you so much. I will share this with many friends and family. Thank you. What a fresh and original analysis of growing older. Thank you so much. I will share this with many friends and family. Thank you.

]]> By: Katherine G ERT http://blog.adw.org/2009/11/on-the-beauty-of-dying/comment-page-1/#comment-2426 Katherine G ERT Fri, 20 Nov 2009 19:54:26 +0000 http://blog.adw.org/?p=4449#comment-2426 This is such a beautiful reflection. It reminds me of how I also get to see people's journeys through death, and sometimes back to life. It never fails to amaze me, and while, say, in a Code I become very goal oriented, afterwards I give thanks to God for calling me to this vocation. Thank you for sharing your stories and reflections. It really does mean a lot, and it helps me put new perspective on my own work. This is such a beautiful reflection. It reminds me of how I also get to see people’s journeys through death, and sometimes back to life. It never fails to amaze me, and while, say, in a Code I become very goal oriented, afterwards I give thanks to God for calling me to this vocation.

Thank you for sharing your stories and reflections. It really does mean a lot, and it helps me put new perspective on my own work.

]]> By: Maggie http://blog.adw.org/2009/11/on-the-beauty-of-dying/comment-page-1/#comment-2415 Maggie Fri, 20 Nov 2009 15:58:23 +0000 http://blog.adw.org/?p=4449#comment-2415 I once read somewhere that when a person is born with a deadly or disabling condition, it could be received as a reminder, a gift, that not just that person, but also all of us - the whole Body- will one day end our lives with nothing but God and his grace. I guess God grants to some an accelerated "course" on life and to others a long journey. I once read somewhere that when a person is born with a deadly or disabling condition, it could be received as a reminder, a gift, that not just that person, but also all of us – the whole Body- will one day end our lives with nothing but God and his grace. I guess God grants to some an accelerated “course” on life and to others a long journey.

]]> By: anon http://blog.adw.org/2009/11/on-the-beauty-of-dying/comment-page-1/#comment-2413 anon Fri, 20 Nov 2009 15:29:07 +0000 http://blog.adw.org/?p=4449#comment-2413 Ditto to the above and thank you for this post. For myself and my family, your timing is impeccable - my family is in the midst of witnessing this process, which can at times, be somewhat overwhelming. I believe this post will help my children, father-in-law and husband understand that the degeneration of their loved one is part of being loved by God. Ditto to the above and thank you for this post. For myself and my family, your timing is impeccable – my family is in the midst of witnessing this process, which can at times, be somewhat overwhelming. I believe this post will help my children, father-in-law and husband understand that the degeneration of their loved one is part of being loved by God.

]]> By: Jeff Hendrix http://blog.adw.org/2009/11/on-the-beauty-of-dying/comment-page-1/#comment-2412 Jeff Hendrix Fri, 20 Nov 2009 13:12:37 +0000 http://blog.adw.org/?p=4449#comment-2412 A beautiful and truth-filled reflection, Monsignor. Thanks so much. Even offering up our suffering and loss of life adds to the work of Our Lord's salvific work ( http://alittleguide.blogspot.com/ ). Cheers/blessings A beautiful and truth-filled reflection, Monsignor. Thanks so much. Even offering up our suffering and loss of life adds to the work of Our Lord’s salvific work ( http://alittleguide.blogspot.com/ ). Cheers/blessings

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