the word on death
"I solemnly assure you, if a man is true to My word he shall never see death." —John 8:51
We can overcome death by:
- being baptized into Christ (Rm 6:3), "the Resurrection and the Life" (Jn 11:25),
- loving the Lord with all our hearts, all our souls, all our minds, and all our strength, and loving others as ourselves (Lk 10:27),
- believing in Jesus and giving our lives to Him (see Jn 11:26), and
- keeping God's word (Jn 8:51).
We are saved by grace through faith (Eph 2:8) to live lives of good works (Eph 2:10). To live our Baptisms by loving God with all our hearts, we need faith. Faith comes from hearing, and hearing God comes from the word of God (Rm 10:17). Hearing, that is, obeying God's word, is the foundation of life in Christ, for keeping His word is the basis of the faith by which we live our baptismal covenant of love. Therefore, St. Jerome and the Church teach: "Ignorance of the Scriptures is ignorance of Christ" (Catechism, 133).
If we don't know and keep God's word, that is, the teachings of the Church and especially the Bible, we aren't living in Christ. If we don't live in Christ, we won't die and rise in Christ. For those not keeping God's word, death is a tragic destruction. For those living His word, death is the entry into the perfect love of heaven. Keep God's word and overcome death (Jn 8:51).
Prayer: Father, may I abide in Your word and be truly free — even from the evil of death (see Jn 8:31-32).
Promise: "I will maintain My covenant with you and your descendants after you throughout the ages as an everlasting pact." —Gn 17:7
Praise: Being diagnosed with cancer suddenly made everything clearly ordered as to the meaning of life and death for Helen. She grew much closer to Jesus and dedicated herself to prayer.
Nihil Obstat: Reverend Robert L. Hagedorn, October 9, 2003
Imprimatur: †Most Reverend Carl K. Moeddel, Vicar General and Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, October 14, 2003