Why is death a terror to men? Because it is the punishment of sin, the penalty that was attached by God Himself to the first transgression of His law--"In the day that thou eatest of it thou shall die the death." For this reason we shrink from it as the mark and sign of our fallen and degraded condition. Disease, corruption, old age, decay are its forerunners, and are invested with the same reproach as testimonies to our being born in sin.

Death is the end of our time of trial. After it our destiny will be irrevocably fixed. No more chance of doing penance, no more opportunities of contrition, no more merit, no more grace, no more calls to repentance, no more hope for those who reject God in this life. No wonder then that men dread it if they are not at peace with God, or if they still retain any affection even to venial sin. Yet death is standing at our very doors: at any moment the King of Terrors may summon us away. Am I prepared for the summons?

Yet to those who love God death loses all its terrors. For them it is the beginning of their true life. All their hopes have been directed to the unseen world; why should they fear? Their heart is in Heaven and their treasure is in Heaven, their King and Lord is there, and there, too, are all their dearest and best friends, and the Angels and the Saints. How happy are those who are thus detached from this world and ever look to the world to come!

Pray for a happy death.