tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7853204965986587589.post3240274977726934682..comments2024-03-17T22:48:00.427+08:00Comments on Reflections and Ruminations: A happy death has to include making a good and heartfelt confession.Fr Luke Fonghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03079016104331055895noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7853204965986587589.post-28049171718481851522016-08-27T22:42:39.061+08:002016-08-27T22:42:39.061+08:00Last week, many of us in ministry was reeling in s...Last week, many of us in ministry was reeling in shock and made terribly vulnerable when confronted with the death of a dear friend, a brother in Christ. It was true that he had been ill for a while but he was on the eve of being discharged to the Rehab. Hospital and so his sudden demise from a heart attack was such a cruel and unexpected blow, both for his family as well as friends. To come to terms with this, to gain our equilibrium, we ask of God – the big Q -“Why?”<br /><br /><br />My usual panacea for ‘heart-pain’ is to seek solace in words and as if in answer to this need I came upon Fr Rolheiser’s post on - A Happy Death. The line that caught my eye was - “We die a happy death when we die in honesty, irrespective of circumstance ..........” And that was what was so attractive about this friend. In both word and deed,(especially the latter) he had lived in honesty, sanctifying the ordinariness of his daily life by his genuine and patient bearing of all adversities for the love of others.(not canonizing him) - but goodness sometimes has a way of shimmering through, though he had a goofy sense of humour too.<br /><br /><br />It was as if to give further affirmation .........that two days later, your post touched on this point............ “ there is also the element of divine justice that awaits one who hasn’t died to oneself in raw honesty. I truly believe that a happy death has very much to do with dying with an honesty......”<br /><br />On reflection, his death lends an urgency to our lives.... for in remembering our mortality, we become poignantly aware that we all have only a limited time in which to bring our lives to fulfilment.<br /><br />God bless u, Fr.<br /><br />tessa<br />Tessahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04211998984286520369noreply@blogger.com