how to save a life in preparing for death

Deuteronomy 31:1-8; Dt 23 The portion of the Lord is his people; Matthew 18:1-5, 10, 12-14

"Be brave and steadfast; have no fear or dread of them for it is the Lord, your God, who marches with you he will never fail you or forake you."

Moses bids farewell to the israelites as he prepares for death. What a beautiful way to die, giving encouragement even as death comes.

How often I have seen people fight death and struggle against that reality. Yet, it is. Death comes for all of us. How we live today determines how we shall embrace death when it comes.

SHould we not let Moses be our guide.


Should we not spend our life encouraging others so that when our time arrives we too shall have the strength to surrender, to step aside, to embrace that Gondola that shall take us to life everlasting, not with fist of fighting but with palms of praise, "For I will sing the Lord's renown" as the psalm tells us this morning.

Be encouraging in faith today. Prepare for yourself for Death.

Moses saves lives by his faithfulness and encouragement even as he prepares for death.


Today we also remember Teresa Benedicta of the cross, Edith Stein. Edith Stein was a Jewish convert to Christianity who late became a Carmelite Nun. She was arrested along with all other jews and jewish converts to Christianity after the Dutch bishops renounced the Nazi regime. She was led along with the others to Auschwitz where she was killed in the gas chambers.

There are two saints we remember this month who died in Auschwitz, St. Teresa Benedicta (Aug 9) of the cross and St. Maximillian Kolbe (AUg 14).

Today we stop to remember that tragedy, that mark against humanity. We pray for our world that we never go down that path again.


Here are a few words from Teresa Benedicta of the Cross (Edith Stein)

"To suffer and to be happy although suffering,
to have one's feet on the earth,

To walk on the dirty and rough paths of this earth and yet
To be enthroned with Christ at the Father's right hand,

To laugh and cry with the children of this world
And ceaselessly sing the praises of God with the choirs of angels

This is the life of the Christian until the morning of eternity breaks forth."- E.S.


Words from the Pope:

"If I listen to the Lord and walk with him, I become truly myself. What counts is not the fulfilment of my desires, but of his will. In this way life becomes authentic.