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Death Does Not Win

Death Does Not Win

Last updated on: July 27, 2016 at 4:58 pm by Leticia Adams

Death Does Not Win 2016-07-27T16:58:31-05:00 Leticia Adams

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Three months ago I sat by the bedside in a hospice and witnessed the most terrifying thing of my entire life as I watched my Tio Roy take his last breaths. His death scared me and the sounds, smells and loss of life haunts me. But even in the middle of all that I saw beauty, holiness, God’s Faithfulness, the beginning of a new life and so much joyful love. I learned why I’m Catholic. It’s not to impress anyone, it is to die with dignity and love for God like my Tio did. It is to leave behind people who can cry, laugh and know that my life left a legacy full of stories of my faith.

Everyday we are waking up to stories of tragedy and death. A new family mourns the loss of someone they love.Every day we see division among people whether it’s about politics, religion, race, or just plain mental disordered delusions. It all seems to be snowballing and yesterday we woke up to news that one of our beloved priests was murdered in his Church during Mass by cowards. What should our response as Catholic Christians be to this is a question that so many of us seem to be struggling with.

The death of my uncle, the strongest man that I ever knew, has given me a grace of knowing that death does not win. Death does not conquer life. It’s scary, it’s heartbreaking and it’s so very tragic, but death does not have the last word. Not my uncle’s death or Father Jacques Hamel’s. This isn’t just some platitude to make me feel better about the news, but it is something that I believe to the point of giving my life for it. It is the reason that I am a Christian and not just “spiritual”, because I know that God became man in Jesus who died and then rose from the grave to conquer death.

Just like with Christ’s death on the Cross, the devil mistakes the last breath of human beings as a win for himself, but he’s wrong because after the death of the body comes the resurrection and for those who die in friendship with Christ, being with God in heaven. Every one of those people who die and are met by angels and the Blessed Mother are a defeat for evil. First Jesus then all of us who follow Him.

The day that I saw Pope Francis and Pope Benedict in the Vatican Garden consecrating the Vatican to St. Micheal, I knew that what was coming was going to be something more than business as usual. We are in a battle against evil. It might be my age, but I think that we are starting to see that battle play out on the evening news like we never have before. I agree with Elizabeth Scalia that it seems as if there was a “click” of sorts and that this battle is coming to an end. And like her, I think that it’s not something to be afraid of.

There is still joy all around us. There are still baptisms, weddings, births of babies, miracles, and people coming into the Catholic Faith, even as chaos seems to be swirling around us, we can remember that God is faithful. We come from a long line of people who have rejoiced in that truth even to their death.

Death does not win.

Photo: Word on Fire

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