July 2024
Join Br. Linus M. Martz, O.P., for a four-part series on the end of life and dying well. Each talk can stand alone, so continuity in attendance is not necessary. The talks are intended for people from all backgrounds and stages in life. The two remaining meetings will be as follows:
July 9: Death, Hope, and Dying Well
In our first session, we will begin our discussion of this challenging but spiritually fruitful topic. We will look first at non-Christian ideas about “dying well,” before looking to Jesus Christ and the Resurrection. This study will be shaped by a distinctly Dominican and Thomistic emphasis on the goodness of bodily life, and will also consider the important role mourning plays in a Christian response to death. See handout here.
July 16: The Art of Dying
In our second session, we will explore the many essential, but non-sacramental, resources that the Church offers to strengthen and console the dying. The late medieval text, The Art of Dying, recently republished by the National Catholic Bioethics Center, will guide our reflections. We will conclude by applying its principles to the unique difficulties of contemporary end-of-life care. See handout here.
July 23: Last Rites
In our third session, we will examine the place that the sacraments have at the end of a Christian’s earthly life. We will focus especially on the Anointing of the Sick, which with Confession and the Eucharist forms the heart of the Church’s spiritual care for the dying. We will also discuss best practices about when to request these sacraments and how to prepare well to receive them. See handout here.
July 30: Eternal Life
For our fourth and final session, we will talk about Heaven, the goal of our earthly pilgrimage. We will examine the biblical revelation about eternal life with the triune God. St. Thomas Aquinas’s theological reflections will guide our approach to this supreme mystery. We will then revisit the topic of end-of-life care to see how even death itself can prepare us for heavenly glory. See handout here.
For more information, see the posters in the back of the church or visit our parish website at svsc.info. We encourage you to invite your friends to join–All are most welcome!