The Healing Journey

November 8, 2024

The following is excerpted from “Mother Angelica’s Answers, Not Promises,” which she wrote with Christine Allison:

“Death is our transition from the temporary to the permanent. It is not a certain moment that ends all life for us; it is the beginning of our eternal life. It is what leads us to that awesome moment when we will see the Face of God and take our place in Heaven. Heaven is a reality. It is not some spiritual anesthetic that was concocted to numb the pains of the world. So don’t be afraid to die. Pray every day for a good preparation for death. Pray to persevere in a holy and joyful life.

Keep before you one very simple goal: that at the moment of your death, you will be able to give yourself totally to God in perfect trust. As a Christian, you are especially blessed because you have already known in this life the saving grace of Our Lord. But you won’t know how blessed you actually are until you face that moment of death. Be grateful for your gift of faith. If you are still panicked by the idea of death, pray to the Father for the grace to understand his gift of eternal life. Your fears of death will begin to slip away. For if you have chosen God in this life, you have already chosen Heaven in the next life. Then death should cause you no terror—for it will be your passage into the Arms of God. Do not be fearful. God is with you.”

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