A Happy Death

Death. “The undiscovered country from whose bourn no traveler returns.” – Hamlet by William Shakespeare.

No one wishes to ponder it or discuss it, but death is something we all must do. The occasion of our death cannot be avoided, but can that occasion be made good? And, if so, what constitutes a good death?

The following discourse will explore whether God intended human beings to experience death and how the Bible treats the subject. What, if any effect, does the salvation made possible by Christ have on death? Finally, I will discuss what is meant by a happy death.

Why Death? 

A close reading of the Book of Genesis suggests that death did not originally taint human nature. Genesis 2:17 states that God told Adam and Eve that they would only die if they “eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.” Yet, Genesis also informs us that man was formed from “dust,” that is to say, human beings have a physical body composed of natural elements that are subject to decay and death. The implication is that Adam and Eve were “preserved” from death by God’s grace. That grace was removed as a result of original sin, and “death entered the world.”

Saint Paul gives voice to the belief that death is a result of original sin when he writes, “just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all people.” (Romans 5:12).

It seems, however, that we come to a dilemma. If, as Catholics, we believe in Jesus Christ, and if it is true that everyone who believes in Jesus has eternal life, why do those who have faith in Jesus still experience death? While figures like Mary, Elijah, and Enoch suggest exceptions to the rule, the fact remains that death is all but inevitable for believers and non-believers alike.

 I suggest that the answer lies in understanding that human beings are composite creatures, made up of a physical body and a spiritual soul. It is self-evident that the body dies. The destruction of the soul is the eternal separation from God. For this reason, Jesus tells us to fear the One (that is, God) “who can destroy both soul and body.” (Matthew 10:28).

As the body is an organic substance (formed from dust), it naturally is subject to decay and death. It was only through the special grace present in Adam and Eve before the Fall that the death of the body was prevented. Once human nature was corrupted by original sin, the grace that prevented physical death was removed. 

This leaves in place Jesus’ statement that those who believe in Him have eternal life, which is the soul being eternally in the presence of God. Death, then, is “the dust [the body] returning to the ground it came from, and the spirit returning to God who gave it.” Put another way; death occurs when the immortal soul separates from the mortal body. (Ecclesiastes 12:7).

Having addressed death itself, I turn now to what is meant as a “happy death.”

The Happy Death

So that I can address what constitutes a happy death (if such a thing is possible), it is beneficial to articulate the Church’s teaching on what happens to the soul at death. “Each man receives his eternal retribution in his immortal soul at the very moment of his death, in a particular judgment that refers his life to Christ: either entrance into the blessedness of Heaven—through a purification or immediately—or immediate and everlasting damnation. (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1022).”

The Catechism summarizes what the Bible teaches on particular judgment. In the epistle to the Hebrews, Saint Paul writes, “It is appointed to men to die once, and after that comes the judgment.” (Hebrews 9:27).

It is possible to identify three possible outcomes for each soul at the particular judgment. Those whose love for God is perfect in this life are taken straight to Heaven. Those who die in God’s love but love God imperfectly must be purified in the intermediate state of purgatory. Finally, those souls who have rejected God are condemned to Hell.

As it must be that the goal of believers is to enter Heaven, it should be clear that a happy death occurs when the individual passes directly from this life into Heaven. Since entry into Heaven requires one to be in a state of grace, we can define a happy death as one where one is free from mortal sin.

By virtue of the practice of anointing of the sick and the sacrament of extreme unction, the Church provides the Catholic with access to the grace necessary to experience a happy death.

Yet, the time and occasion of our death are a mystery for many of us. Because of this, it must be the object of every Catholic to live our lives in such a way that we persist in a state of grace. 

A State of Grace

As was said above, to be in a state of grace means to be free of mortal sin. However, that is a minimalist definition. A wider definition of a state of grace would include being a friend of God, that is, to be a saint. 

A happy death is, in a sense, a continuation of a happy life. And a happy life is a virtuous one, and a virtuous life is one that is lived according to the will of God. 

Conclusion

We all must experience death. Yet this experience need not be met with sorrow or trepidation. 

While living, the Catholic should concern himself with obtaining eternal life for his soul. By being friends of God during this life, we hope to be saints in the presence of God in the life to come. This friendship requires us to live in accordance with the will of God. 

Finally, as in life, Jesus provides our guidance in death. For to rise with Christ, we must die with Christ. Put another way, when we die in obedience to Christ, we participate in His death. And, by so doing, we hope to participate in His Resurrection. A happy death then is to be away from the body so that we may be home with the Lord. (2 Corinthians and the Catechism of the Catholic Church, paragraphs 1005, 1006, and 1009).