I was a nun living in a convent, but God was not my goal. However, at the same time, St. Paul tells us that the Christian is called to see death as gain (cf. Sister Theresa Aletheia: God knew where I belonged and revealed it to me over time. Our Sunday Visitor: When did you enter religious life? The first day, I thought, “How am I going to make sure I actually meditate on death?” So I decided to tweet about it. Phil 1:21). St. Paul exhorts us, “work out your salvation with fear and trembling” (Phil 2:12). community of prayer. The practice of gazing at a skull would be an example of a memento mori, or “remembrance of death” in the tradition of Catholic spirituality. Today, Sister Theresa Aletheia Noble, FSP is sharing one of her favorite topics: memento mori, a Latin phrase that calls us to “remember death.” While this is a year-round spiritual practice for many Catholics, it’s especially timely during the first week of Lent. Brian Fraga is a contributing editor for Our Sunday Visitor. Similarly, goths often draw from the riches of Catholicism: the skull symbolism, rituals, wearing black, even drinking blood, etc. The Memento Mori Rosary is composed of 5 mysteries that help us meditate on and enter into Jesus’ death. Bishop (then Father) Robert Reed prays the sorrowful mysteries of The Rosary at Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris. What do you say to that? I tweeted, “Day 1 with a skull on my desk,” and then a random thought with the hashtag #mementomori. A couple years ago, I got a nudge in prayer to start the practice. Sister Theresa Aletheia: I grew up in Ohio, and then Oklahoma, in a devoutly Catholic family. Memento mori means "remember your death" in Latin, and refers to the ancient practice of meditating on death and the afterlife. Sr. Theresa Aletheia will keep you in her prayers! Only with your support can we continue to offer faith-filled, inspiring programs that deepen our faith and connect people with the Church. At least, I can remember having doubts as early as age five. Now God is my goal, much more than before. Remembrance of the Last Things, beginning with death, opens our hearts to the work God wants to do in us before our last day on earth. There are a few ways to practice memento mori, including keeping a skull on your desk. Sister Theresa Aletheia: Traditionally, November has been a time to pray for the deceased, so in the past it was often associated with meditation on death. But the practice of meditating on my death has helped me immensely, not only to accept my vocation but to embrace it and to live it joyfully. Share the good news about CatholicTV on social media and support our mission with a secure, tax-deductible So, I brainstormed with my sisters and we came up with some ideas. A lesson from C.S. A good quality. A lot of people trace this spiritual practice back to medieval times but Sister Theresa Aletheia explains that it actually has roots in the beginning of salvation history. Archbishop José Gomez, along with several other bishops and laity, pray the rosary in a moment of unified prayer for America. Many saints throughout church history have used memento mori to help them focus on holiness. Our existence is good and, as St. Ambrose wrote, “Death was not part of nature; it became part of nature.” Death comes from sin. The days of Advent were often set aside for meditation on the Last Things as well. If you, a family member, neighbor or friend in another part of the nation do not have The CatholicTV Network on your cable/satellite system, help bring the network to that neck of the woods! Bishop Robert Reed prays the joyful mysteries of The Rosary in Studio B at The CatholicTV Network in front of replicas of stained glass windows from Saint Mary's Hall at Boston College. Our Sunday Visitor: What are your hopes for your new prayer book, “Memento Mori: Prayers on the Last Things?” How do you think it will benefit people who use it? The ceramic skull on Sister Theresa Aletheia Noble’s desk is a daily reminder that she will die one day. The devotional was designed by Sister Theresa Aletheia Noble to help others meditate on the moments of their lives and ultimately remember Christians hope in the Resurrection -- made possible through Christ's victory over sin and death. Please support CatholicTV with a secure, tax-deductible gift. “Any day we spend not contemplating and preparing for that reality, even if it’s just for a moment, is a day wasted,” said Sister Theresa, who is active on social media and often uses the #mementomori hashtag along with a skull emoji on Twitter. Bishop Robert Reed prays the joyful mysteries of The Rosary in Studio B at The CatholicTV Network in front of replicas of stained glass windows, Bishop Robert Reed prays the sorrowful mysteries of The Rosary in Studio B at The CatholicTV Network in front of r, Bishop Robert Reed prays the joyful mysteries of, Bishop Robert Reed prays the sorrowful mysteries of. Sister Theresa Aletheia: I think it’s a quality of human existence to fear death. There really is no way around thinking about death regularly if we want to live for holiness. Just shop conveniently online and support your favorite Catholic television station at the same time! Your gift helps CatholicTV deliver the Good News into millions of homes across the country. Rather than ignore death, she prefers to meditate on it. We are being purified in this life to prepare for the next. I was into punk rock when I was an atheist, partly because I like the music and partly because in that subculture there’s a strong sense of social justice. The stakes are high in this life, and God wants us to prepare to meet him, to open our hearts more and more to his love so that we are ready to enter into heaven when he calls us. As…, The best column I read about Sister Jean throughout the two weeks of March Madness…. The Bible tells the story of God saying to Adam and Eve those words we all hear on Ash Wednesday: “Remember you are dust and to dust you shall return.”. So, when I started to see how many people were responding to my memento mori journey, I realized that resources were needed for people to integrate this practice into their lives. Sister Theresa shared her thoughts on memento mori with Our Sunday Visitor: Our Sunday Visitor: What has driven your efforts to revive the memento mori? Find CatholicTV in your area. Stay in tune with what’s on and what’s coming up on your favorite Catholic television station! Did you enjoy this article? We are the living Church online. Sister Theresa Aletheia: Meditating on death periodically is unfruitful and unpleasant. #RosaryforAmerica. Click the image below. But they also often attract people who take life seriously and want to know the truth. Why the Daughters of St. Paul? Our Sunday Visitor: With All Saints Day and All Souls Day coming up this week, is this a particularly poignant time in our liturgical calendar to ponder memento mori? Sister Theresa Aletheia: Everything good, beautiful and true in any movement or religion can be found in its fullness in the Church. So, these interests helped me to begin to understand how I had a place in this order. So, it’s important to look for the truth in them, it’s how we can draw people to the greater truth in the Church, to Jesus who is Truth itself. St. Ignatius said when you have a big decision to make you should imagine yourself on your deathbed. Be part of the CatholicTV family of viewers. This is the only way to happiness. Memento Mori: Prayers on the Last Things is a beautiful prayer book that helps you pray with and meditate on death and the afterlife. A while has ended up being years. Bishop Robert Reed prays the luminous mysteries of The Rosary from Boston's Cathedral of the Holy Cross. He kept a skull on his desk as a memento mori to remind him to meditate every day on his inevitable death. Eventually, I began to realize that my worldview had rather unsatisfying answers to some of life’s most important questions. I feel like I was swimming through a haze, and remembrance of death cut through the haze and sharpened everything around me. For example, I did not believe in the immortal soul. It jolts us into preparing to meet him. Subscribe now. But I also always had doubts. Anytime you shop on Amazon.com using our affiliate link, you help support the important work of this network. Without a strong central government to maintain order, the Catholic Church surged as the most powerful institution. I figured I would do this for two weeks at most. Lewis in light of Christ the King. From 2014: Father Robert Reed prays the Joyful mysteries of the Rosary for the protection of all human life. We can only despise death and lose our fear of it by meditating on our inevitable death regularly in the context of what Christ has done for us. ... plague, and political crisis. Today, Sister Theresa Aletheia Noble, FSP is sharing one of her favorite topics: memento mori, a Latin phrase that calls us to “remember death.” While this is a year-round spiritual practice for many Catholics, it’s especially timely during the first week of Lent. Certainly, being a Christian leads to happiness in this life but it’s also difficult and painful. On the Feast of the Lady of the Rosary, the USCCB seeks healing and asks Our Lady to pray for us and help lead us to Jesus. I never imagined what that one tweet would turn into, but God always has interesting plans. Daughters of Saint Paul pray a Memento Mori Rosary outside the crypt at their motherhouse. Analysis: What does the McCarrick report tell us? Memento mori can help us get more out of the season of Lent. Sister Theresa Aletheia: If it’s morbid to meditate on death then it’s morbid to face reality, to realize the truth of our sinfulness, and to accept the salvation that Jesus Christ has provided for us. Holiness and growing in virtue have become much more urgent in view of the fact that my death is both inevitable and unpredictable.