Our long prayer for a happy death begins with calling, "Lord, creator and savior." Then, we confess that we "accept death with the heart of honoring it according to your will."
This prayer ends with the repeated invocations: "Jesus Master, I trust in you. Jesus Master, I hope in you. Jesus Master, I love you. Jesus Master, I ask your mercy. Jesus, Mary, Joseph, I give you my heart and soul. Jesus, Mary, Joseph, take care of me on my deathbed. Jesus, Mary, Joseph, may my soul die in you in peace."
The simplest prayer for a happy death is as follows: "Lord, who was resurrected after overcoming death, grant me the grace to have a happy death so that even at the moment of death, I can think of eternal heavenly happiness, miss you, and willingly accept death. Amen."
Another prayer to Saint Joseph for a happy death is as follows: "O Blessed Joseph, you gave your last breath in the loving embrace of Jesus and Mary. When the seal of death shall close my life, come with Jesus and Mary to aid me. Obtain for me this solace for that hour ― to die with their holy arms around me. Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, I commend my soul, living and dying, into your sacred arms. Amen."
Especially because of the pandemic, death has come much closer to us than before. We don't know what will happen in the next moment. We just live from moment to moment every day.
In Korea, graves are placed in mountainous areas in general, but in western cultures, graves are located in the midst of people in the village. Death is just an ordinary part of daily life.
"Memento mori" in Latin means "Remember death." "Remember that you will die!" "Remember that you must die!"
According to the custom of Etruria, an ancient region of Italy, a Roman general would ride in a chariot in a march throughout the city after winning a famous battle. By his side in the chariot rode a slave, who kept saying to him "Memento mori" during the triumphal parade.
Saying "Memento mori" was a call not to be proud of the victory. It reminded the general that he too would also die someday even though he won the victory. "Memento mori" advised him to be humble.
Navajo Indians also say: "The world was joyful even though you cried when you were born into the world. In the end, you will be joyful even though the world will cry over your death." Thus, in our life, joy and tears are like both sides of a coin.
The artistic genre of "Vanitas" (vanity) is a kind of art illustrating decay ― a skull, coffin, rotten fruit, foam, smoke, clock, hourglasses, wilting flowers, or musical instruments. Through this style, the artists in the Netherlands and Flanders of the 16th and 17th centuries revealed the vanity, mortality, fleetingness, and impermanence of human life as well as the necessity of death.
Our Founder, Blessed James Alberione also placed a skull always on his desk. "Memento mori" leads us to a meaningful life.
The author is a member of the Daughters of St. Paul (fsp.pauline.or.kr) living and giving the Good News to the world by means of social communication.