‘During life despise that which will avail you nothing at the hour of death.’ St. Anselm of Canterbury
As a priest, I receive many emails, text messages and phone calls like these: “Fr. Michael, please pray for my sister who is dying of cancer.” “Fr. Michael, my friend’s son was just killed in a car accident last night, please keep him in your prayers.” And this list could go on and on. I recommend visiting the cemetery of a loved one to pray for that soul and to reflect that you are not far away yourself…we do not know the day or the hour. Personally, this basic fact of death and eternity has a big impact on my daily decision making process and helps keeps everything in perspective.
