Memento Mori

This is a photo illustration depicting memento mori, a reminder of one's death. The Lenten devotional was designed by Sister Theresa Aletheia Noble to help others meditate on the moments of their lives and ultimately remember Christians hope in the Resurrection -- made possible through Christ's victory over sin and death. (CNS illustration/Lisa Johnston, St. Louis Review)

Practice of memento mori -- considering one's death -- revived for Lent: ST. LOUIS (CNS) -- We have one life. What are we doing with it? Are we remembering our death? To some it sounds strange, but that's what a Daughter of St. Paul is doing through her revival of an ancient practice called Memento Mori--remember one's inevitable death.  Everyone's.  Your own.



Sister Theresa Aletheia Noble's new book, "Remember Your Death: Memento Mori," was released by the daughters of St. Paul in January.  It's now in its second printing.  That's why medieval monks kept human skulls on their desks.  It was and is a constant reminder that you are going to meet your maker soon.



There was a poster making the round on Facebook recently, that said on the top: "Go ahead.  You only live once."



On the bottom, it said: "Wrong.  You live every day.  You only die once."

R-E-S-P-E-C-T

Sister Theresa Aletheia Noble, FSP, says it so clearly.  In her article, "Catholic Social Media: Why Its Important to our bishops and pope," she lays the reasons why we need authoritative voices and as such, respect is due them. I've often bemoaned the false news and the angry tone often portrayed on social media.  Sister gives us these criteria to help us judge whether or not what we are looking or reading will really help us.

1. Does this article/writer/website give other people in society (lay leaders, politicians, Catholic organizations) more benefit of the doubt than the bishops or the pope?

2. Does this article either subtly or overtly make personal attacks?

• Name calling or the use of disrespectful nicknames.
• Attacks against a person’s character (i.e. judgments about a person’s inner life based on outward actions).
• Negative judgments about a person that communicate condescension, bitterness, or contempt.

3. Is this article opinion or fact based? If an opinion, does the writer share his thoughts humbly while giving the people involved the benefit of the doubt? Or does the writer share his opinion as if it is fact while assuming the worst of those involved?

4. Does this article unfairly assume intention, make conjectures about a person’s inner life, and base analyses on guesses rather than facts?

5. Does this article present itself as sharing objective information in a journalistic style while subtly adding in phrases of opinion that sow doubt and direct the reader to make certain conclusions?

6. Does this article/writer/website hold up certain Church teachings with reverence and respect while dismissing other teaching as non-essential or simply wrong? Or does this article/writer/website gloss over certain Church teachings or subtly subvert them because they are seen as unpopular or uncharitable in the secular world?

7. Is this article’s headline sensational? Does it suggest something scandalous without clear evidence? What would a non-Catholic think upon reading this headline? Does this headline portray events in the worst possible interpretive sense?

8. Does this article use scare quotes to suggest intention and to manipulate readers to absorb the information or a person’s words in a certain way rather than allowing the reader to make his or her own judgments about what was said?

9. Does this article use logical fallacies? (Uncharitable articles are often full of bad arguments.)

10. Does this article/writer/website set itself up against the hierarchy as a “guardian of orthodoxy” or as a de facto alternate Magisterium? Or does this website set itself up against the hierarchy as a prophetic voice of correction and worldly common sense?

- See more at: http://aleteia.org/2017/02/07/catholic-social-media-why-its-important-to-respect-our-bishops-and-pope/?utm_campaign=NL_en&utm_source=daily_newsletter&utm_medium=mail&utm_content=NL_en#sthash.kPMBfawp.dpuf

Sr. Theresa Aletheia Noble

Sister Theresa Aletheia Noble, FSP, is the author of The Prodigal You Love: Inviting Loved Ones Back to the Church. She blogs at Pursued by Truth.

- See more at: http://aleteia.org/2017/02/07/catholic-social-media-why-its-important-to-respect-our-bishops-and-pope/?utm_campaign=NL_en&utm_source=daily_newsletter&utm_medium=mail&utm_content=NL_en#sthash.kPMBfawp.dpuf

One More Reason Not to be the Last to Leave Mass

This morning I was reading an article, "5 Reasons to Stay Until the End of Mass," by Sister Theresa Aletheia Noble.  Her reasons include:

(1)     Community
          Stay awhile after the Mass concludes and catch up on neighbors' news.  Greet and welcome
           newcomers.
(2)     It's rude
          I'll say!!!  Although I never noticed this until I had children singing in the choir.  I couldn't get
          over that the people in the choir are looking at you, eyeball to eyeball, and you turn around and
          leave!  How rude!  Stay and sing. Stay, tell Father, "good homily," tell the Lector, "good job,"
          tell the altar servers, "excellent job," -- you get the idea.  You're in church; you should be
          concerned about your neighbors, not self absorbed.
(3)     Mass is not just an activity
          Mass is not on a "To Do List."  Is kiss your family on a "To Do List"?  Mass is an act of love,
         not a chore.
(4)     There's a final blessing
          Yes, the priest blesses everyone at the end of Mass.  And!  these blessings are very beautiful.
          Listen to it.
(5)     You get more grace
          There's a story told about St. Philip Neri.  He would have the altar server chase after those
          who left before the final blessing.  And the altar server was holding the processional candle.
           So everywhere the parishioner went, he was was followed by a candle bearing altar server.
(6)     You need to wait for the priest to recess out.
           Once the priest has left, kneel down and thank God for the Mass.  You have received a great
          grace.  You are Catholic and have received the precious Body and Blood of Jesus.  Not every-
           body is so blessed.