Death is the reality that we all have to face. St. Josemaría Escrivá wrote, “Have you seen the dead leaves fall in the sad autumn twilight? So fall souls each day into eternity. One day, the falling leaf will be you.”
Father Patrick J. Gearon said, “Whether we think of it or not, the day is going to come when it will be said of each of us: ‘He (or she) is dead!”
Father Gearon added: “You know the old saying: Tempus fugit (time flies). If you look back over the years that have elapsed since your awakening childhood, you must notice how they have gone by literally on wings. And as it has been with the years that are passed, so will it be with those that yet remain.”
For those who love God, death is the gateway to heaven. St. Josemaria pointed out that death is a stumbling block and a source of terror for the worldly minded, but for an apostolic soul death is an encouragement and a stimulus. The saint said, “Don’t be afraid of death. Accept it from this day on, generously … when God wills it, how God wills it, where God wills it. Believe me, it will come at the time, in the place, and in the way that are best – sent by your Father God. May our sister death be welcome!”
St. John Bosco was a 19th-century educator who had many prophetic dreams. The most famous student of Don Bosco was the 15-year-old St. Dominic Savio. In 1876, 20 years after the death of Dominic Savio, Don Bosco had a dream about him.
In the dream, Don Bosco was in a very beautiful garden seeing a large group of boys full of beauty, peace, and joy. Dominic was the leader of the group and he walked toward Don Bosco.
Don Bosco asked, “Where am I?”
Dominic replied, “You are in a place of happiness, where all that is beautiful can be enjoyed.”
“Is this heaven, then?”
“No, whatever is here is of the earth, although improved beyond conception by the power of God. No living person can ever see or imagine the wonders of eternity.”
“Would it be possible to have natural light more brilliant than this?”
“Yes, quite possible … look there in the distance.”
Don Bosco recalled: “I looked, and a ray of light suddenly appeared, so penetrating and of such brilliance that I had to close my eyes, and I cried out in alarm so loudly that I woke the priest who was sleeping in the room nearby. I opened my eyes after a moment and said: ‘But that is surely a ray of the divine light …’ ‘No, even that does not give you any idea. In heaven we enjoy God, and that in everything.’”
In the dream, Don Bosco asked Dominic what was his greatest consolation when he was dying. Dominic answered, “What helped me most and gave me greatest joy when I was dying was the loving care and help of the great Mother of God. Tell your sons not to fail to keep close to her while they are alive.”
Don Bosco tried to detain Dominic by stretching out his hands, but they grasped only the air. Dominic smiled and said: “What are you trying to do?”
Don Bosco said, “I don’t want to let you go, but are you bodily here? Are you really my son Dominic?”
Dominic explained: “This is how things are. If in God’s providence someone who is dead has to appear to someone still alive, he is seen in his normal bodily appearance and distinguishing characteristics. He cannot, however, be bodily touched, since he is a pure spirit. He retains this bodily appearance until he is reunited with his body at the Resurrection.”
死亡是天堂的通道
死亡是我們全體真要面對的事實。聖若瑟瑪利亞、施禮華寫道：『你曾否見過枯死的樹葉在愁秋的暮色中墜落？同樣每日都有靈魂墜落於永恆中。終有一天那落葉將會是你了。』Patrick J. Gearon神父說：『無論我們想及它與否，這天定會到來，就是對我們每一個人而說：「他（或她）死了！」』
Gearon神父補充說：『你知道的俗語：「時光飛逝」。如果你回望在你孩童懂性時的時光，你應該留意到時光真的飛逝地溜走。這麼多年過去了，餘下的也會一般地溜走。』
為愛天主的人，死亡是天堂的通道。聖施禮華亞指出，為那些懷世俗思想的人，死亡是絆腳石，是恐懼之源，但為具使徒精神的靈魂，死亡是鼓舞的，激勵的。這聖人說：『不要害怕死亡。由今天開始接納它，慷慨地…在天主意願的時候，天主意願如何，天主意願的地點。請相信我它來的時間，地點都會是最好的…由你的天父送來。願我們的姊妹死亡受到歡迎！』
聖若望鮑斯高，一位19世紀的教育家，他有很多先知性的神夢。他最著名的學生是位15歲的聖多明我、沙維豪。在1876年，多明我、沙維豪死後的20年，鮑斯高夢見他。
在夢中鮑斯高在一個美麗的花園，看見一大群孩子，充滿美麗，平安和喜樂。多明我是他們的首領，他步向鮑斯高。
鮑斯高問：『我在那裡？』多明我回答說：『你在一們快樂的地方，這裡所有都是美麗的、可享受的。』『那麼，這是天堂嗎？』『不，這裡所有的都是世界的，雖然它是以天主的力量，超越構思的改進。沒有生存的人能夠看見或想象永恆的奧妙。』『可能有自然的光比這更明亮嗎？』『有，有可能的…看，在那遠方。』
鮑斯高回憶：『我一看，一縷光束突然出現，是那般的穿透和光亮，我要閉上雙眼，我驚嚇地大聲喊叫，驚醒了隔鄰睡著的神父。我張開雙眼，一刻後說：「這應該是至聖光束的一縷…」「不，甚至這個也不能給我任何的構思。在天堂我們享受天主，這就是一切的一切了。」』
在夢中，鮑斯高問多明我，在他死的時候，什麼是最大的慰籍。多明我答說：『在我死的時候，幫我最多的，給我最大喜樂的是偉大的天主之母的關愛和幫助。請告訴你的孩子們，在生時不要枉廢和她靠近的機會。』
鮑斯高伸出雙手嘗試把多明我留下，但僅能抓到空氣。多明我微笑並說：『你嘗試做什麼？』鮑斯高說：『我不想讓你走，但你身軀在這裡嗎？你真是我兒多明我嗎？』多明我解釋說：『事情是這樣的。如果在天主旨意內，一個已死的人要顯現給仍然生存的人，他會以正常的身軀形象和自有的特性顯現。因為他是純靈體，他不能被觸摸。他保留這軀體的形象直到他復活時與身體再次結合。』
