Bad deaths?

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HabemusFrancis

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I have been delving into more traditional (or true… depending on your POV) Catholocism, and I have come across tracts and sermons emphasizing the importance of a "happy"death, one where the dying accepts the blessings of the priests and feels contrition toward God.

My only question is what is an “unhappy” death, and if one has even a cursory background of Catholocism, how could one be satisfied or even feel secure with being “unrepentent” on the death bed?

Why would the most selfish, hardened sinner reject the ultimate “Get out of jail free” card?

Any ideas?
 
HabemusFrancis said:
I have been delving into more traditional (or true… depending on your POV) Catholocism, and I have come across tracts and sermons emphasizing the importance of a "happy"death, one where the dying accepts the blessings of the priests and feels contrition toward God.

My only question is what is an “unhappy” death, and if one has even a cursory background of Catholocism, how could one be satisfied or even feel secure with being “unrepentent” on the death bed?

Why would the most selfish, hardened sinner reject the ultimate “Get out of jail free” card?

Any ideas?
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I have seen this in my own family, where they refused God’s mercy on their death bed. It is simple to understand … they neglected their faith during their lifetime. I also have a friend who went to the same Catholic High School who no longer has any meaning for his faith. If he were in danger, I think the last thing he would think about would be his Catholic faith. There is no “Get out of jail free” card for those who don’t know they are in jail.

But of course, who knows but that God will give them a second chance some how when they die which is not known to us.

I believe there are quit a lot of bad deaths. Not because God isn’t all merciful, but because they have no understanding of their sinfulness in need of forgiveness. And this isn’t just the condition of some Catholics as this happens to others too. For everyone comes to that final hour … asking for mercy or not asking.
 
HabemusFrancis said:
I have been delving into more traditional (or true… depending on your POV) Catholocism, and I have come across tracts and sermons emphasizing the importance of a "happy"death, one where the dying accepts the blessings of the priests and feels contrition toward God.

My only question is what is an “unhappy” death, and if one has even a cursory background of Catholocism, how could one be satisfied or even feel secure with being “unrepentent” on the death bed?

Why would the most selfish, hardened sinner reject the ultimate “Get out of jail free” card?

Any ideas?
Click to expand...
Dear HabemusFrancis,

The sad truth is that many hardened sinners have grown to love their sin more than they love God, and do not see Him as freeing them from the prison of Hell. Rather, they remain set in their ways. This is known as “final impenitence”, and it is one of the sins against the Holy Spirit. God punishes such souls by fixing them in their hardened position.

Consider the Book of Exodus. The initial sin is Pharoah’s, but even after being given multiple opportunities to repent, he rejects them all. Finally, God hardens his heart and allows the final plague to be unleashed and the Israelites to escape. It is a stark warning to us not to presume upon His mercy, as there is a certain number of sins beyond which God will not pardon us or give us a “get out of jail free” card any longer. St. Alphonsus’ sermons are an excellent source of wisdom on this topic.
 
I have heard that God calls everyone’s name three times when they die. He really wants us in heaven with him, even if by the skin of our teeth.

Even after dying in agony on the cross for us, which you would think would be enough to impress everyone, he will come after us and call us by name. Many people have experiences like St Augustine’s “take and read”, hearing God speak to them through others or through their minds. That is pure grace and mercy.

God loves us. Weird though the thought is.

.
 
fred_conty said:
I have seen this in my own family, where they refused God’s mercy on their death bed. It is simple to understand … they neglected their faith during their lifetime. I also have a friend who went to the same Catholic High School who no longer has any meaning for his faith. If he were in danger, I think the last thing he would think about would be his Catholic faith. There is no “Get out of jail free” card for those who don’t know they are in jail.

But of course, who knows but that God will give them a second chance some how when they die which is not known to us.

I believe there are quit a lot of bad deaths. Not because God isn’t all merciful, but because they have no understanding of their sinfulness in need of forgiveness. And this isn’t just the condition of some Catholics as this happens to others too. For everyone comes to that final hour … asking for mercy or not asking.
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Well said There is the ole’ saying, when people lose their sense of their sinfulness they lose their thought of the need of a savior

Mary.
 
Traditionally, there have been prayers to Jesus through Mary and Joseph for the grace of a happy death. If one accepts his death; the time, place and manner with patience and love many graces will be given to that person.

It has always difficult for me to understand why someone would not repent at the last moment and accept God’s mercy. Could it be despair? the erroneous thinking that it is too late to repent and God cannot forgive him? Or could it be pride? I don’t need God?

Whatever it is, I know God and his Blessed Mother reach out many times during one’s life to ask for repentance. I would think that at the very least, the person would have enough sense of self-preservation to repent.
 
jaimeleglise said:
Traditionally, there have been prayers to Jesus through Mary and Joseph for the grace of a happy death. If one accepts his death; the time, place and manner with patience and love many graces will be given to that person.

It has always difficult for me to understand why someone would not repent at the last moment and accept God’s mercy. Could it be despair? the erroneous thinking that it is too late to repent and God cannot forgive him? Or could it be pride? I don’t need God?

Whatever it is, I know God and his Blessed Mother reach out many times during one’s life to ask for repentance. I would think that at the very least, the person would have enough sense of self-preservation to repent.
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Dear Jaimeleglise,

That is a wonderful post.

St. Joseph is indeed, as you mention, the patron of a happy death. 🙂
 
RomanoAmerio said:
Dear HabemusFrancis,

The sad truth is that many hardened sinners have grown to love their sin more than they love God, and do not see Him as freeing them from the prison of Hell. Rather, they remain set in their ways. This is known as “final impenitence”, and it is one of the sins against the Holy Spirit. God punishes such souls by fixing them in their hardened position.

Consider the Book of Exodus. The initial sin is Pharoah’s, but even after being given multiple opportunities to repent, he rejects them all. Finally, God hardens his heart and allows the final plague to be unleashed and the Israelites to escape. It is a stark warning to us not to presume upon His mercy, as there is a certain number of sins beyond which God will not pardon us or give us a “get out of jail free” card any longer. St. Alphonsus’ sermons are an excellent source of wisdom on this topic.
Click to expand...
I hate to admit it, but I do believe many people go to Hell. Admittedly I don’t see “hardened” sinners" all that often but I pretty much know them when I see them. They are typically either atheists are people of little faith and they just seem fairly hateful and unpleasent to be around. It’s as if they may not really wish to be that way they have just grown so accustomed to sin that doing the good and avoiding evil is fairly impossible for them. C’est la vie!
 
If people are content with living their earthly life without God in it, why would their afterlife be any different?

It is said people chose hell on their own and this is true, for people with hardened hearts/ souls, Id imagine going to heaven would be the last thing they want, if they did not know God in this world, thats not going to change when they die, so hell may be sort of their heaven so to speak, in that, its an existence without God, something they are already used to and some are very content with.
 
mikekle said:
If people are content with living their earthly life without God in it, why would their afterlife be any different?

It is said people chose hell on their own and this is true, for people with hardened hearts/ souls, Id imagine going to heaven would be the last thing they want, if they did not know God in this world, thats not going to change when they die, so hell may be sort of their heaven so to speak, in that, its an existence without God, something they are already used to and some are very content with.
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I never buy into the idea that people “prefer Hell and hate heaven.”

I think hardened sinners know they are probably going to a terrible place, but lack the strength or will to do anything about it. Its really come to the point where my main goal in life is not to wind up like them 😊
 
HabemusFrancis said:
I have been delving into more traditional (or true… depending on your POV) Catholocism, and I have come across tracts and sermons emphasizing the importance of a "happy"death, one where the dying accepts the blessings of the priests and feels contrition toward God.

My only question is what is an “unhappy” death, and if one has even a cursory background of Catholocism, how could one be satisfied or even feel secure with being “unrepentent” on the death bed?

Why would the most selfish, hardened sinner reject the ultimate “Get out of jail free” card?

Any ideas?
Click to expand...
Pretty much the same way they do it here. If you refuse to accept Christ and his teachings here (of course if you have access to them) and refuse to obey him, why would you obey him in the next world.

You have a get out of jail card here, confession, a clean slate and power from the Holy Spirit to get through this world, but how many reject it. So if you don;t want the card here and want God in your life here, why in the afterlife?
 
RomanoAmerio said:
Dear Jaimeleglise,

That is a wonderful post.

St. Joseph is indeed, as you mention, the patron of a happy death. 🙂
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Thank you very much, Romano Amerio. Your post made me very happy.
Not only must we remember to pray for the souls in purgatory, but also the conversion of sinners. This what Our Lady of Fatima requested of us 100 years ago.

May God bless you abundantly.

No time to pray? The late, great Captain Kangaroo, a television star, said if you need more time, give up TV watching.

St. Alphonsus says if you don’t pray, your salvation is at risk.

St. Joseph, please grant us the grace of a happy death.
 
HabemusFrancis said:
I have been delving into more traditional (or true… depending on your POV) Catholocism, and I have come across tracts and sermons emphasizing the importance of a "happy"death, one where the dying accepts the blessings of the priests and feels contrition toward God.

My only question is what is an “unhappy” death, and if one has even a cursory background of Catholocism, how could one be satisfied or even feel secure with being “unrepentent” on the death bed?

Why would the most selfish, hardened sinner reject the ultimate “Get out of jail free” card?

Any ideas?
Click to expand...
Satan rejected God knowing full well what that meant. I am sure there are people who hate God in the same manner. This is a choice. Hell is the absence of God. What we choose while we are alive is what we will choose after we die. I think that when we die we will remain the same when facing our maker. I think that if we reject God now we will make the same decision later. It is a deliberate and conscience decision.

I am sure that each one of us knows what our decision is and so does God. I also believe that God gives us enough graces to make the decision for Him but He will not force us against our will. If we want the absence of God, that is what we will get.

I have the idea that pride is deciding factor. If we refuse to say “God forgive me, a sinner” while we are alive, we will refuse to say, “God forgive me, a sinner” in death. Pride is what drove Satan. Pride is what will drive those who refuse God’s Mercy.
 
HabemusFrancis said:
I never buy into the idea that people “prefer Hell and hate heaven.”

I think hardened sinners know they are probably going to a terrible place, but lack the strength or will to do anything about it. Its really come to the point where my main goal in life is not to wind up like them 😊
Click to expand...
IDK, I remember times in my life when I was not an active catholic, I was living in sin every day, and enjoying it…had I died then, the last thing I would have wanted is to go to a place with God or better yet, a place without sin.

In that regard, going to heaven, would have been ‘hell’ for a person like myself. I mean, if someone is happy and content living their earthly life without God and without following his laws, why would they feel any different in the afterlife?
 
MaryT777 said:
Well said There is the ole’ saying, when people lose their sense of their sinfulness they lose their thought of the need of a savior

Mary.
Click to expand...
Indeed, as what would there then be to be saved **from?

ICXC NIKA.**
 
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