A BEAUTIFUL SOUL AND A HAPPY HOLY DEATH

A Tribute to Adriana Urzua, a good friend of mine, a beautiful soul and a happy holy death.                                                                                                                                                                     

How to prepare for a 'happy death.' My friend Adrian Urzua who I have known for almost 40 years. Adriana died the way every Catholic should aspire to die, a peaceful holy death surrounded by those you love.  Every second, 1.8 humans die (google.com) Time waits for no man! On every tombstone there are two dates, the day we were born and the day we will die, then there is a dash in between those two dates. That dash will represent every single choice we have made in our life, either for God or against God. May that dash have everything to do with fulfilling the purpose of our existence which is knowing, loving and serving God in this lifetime and spend all eternity with him in heaven. Adriana Urzua did exactly that, Our Lord said “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them and they follow me; and I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish, and no one shall snatch them out of my hand” (John 10:27). Adriana Urzua heard the voice of the Good Shepherd and followed him according to her state in life as a wife, mother and grandmother, and so, she was rewarded with a happy holy death.

When Catholics pray for the grace of a holy or happy death, the answer will depend largely on how well they are prepared for the hour every person will face.

For those who embrace the Catholic faith, dying a good death means being spiritually ready and in the good graces of the Church. Ideally, such preparation occurs daily and spans a lifetime, involving regular attendance at Mass, receiving the sacraments, and being reconciled with others.

My friend Adriana Urzua married to my good Catholic friend David Urzua died on Friday (11-08-24) at 6pm in her home laying on her bed accompanied by her husband and a Catholic Priest by the name of Fr Kenneth Chukwu. Three hours before she died she prayed the chaplet of divine mercy with her husband David. Here are the promises to those who pray the chaplet with faith:

1. “The souls that say this chaplet will be embraced by My mercy during their lifetime and especially at the hour of their death.” (Diary, 754) 

2. “When hardened sinners say it, I will fill their souls with peace, and the hour of their death will be a happy one.” (Diary, 1541)

3. “When they say this chaplet in the presence of the dying, I will stand between My Father and the dying person, not as a just Judge but as a merciful Savior.” (Diary, 1541)

4. “Whoever will recite it will receive great mercy at the hour of death.” (Diary, 687)

On the night before her passing, Fr. Bob Garon (her Pastor) had taken Holy Communion to her, gave her the anointing of the sick, prayed the apostolic pardon for her at her bedside. Holy Viaticum is the term used in the Catholic Church for the Eucharist received by a person who is near death. It is considered "food for the journey" to eternal life. The spiritual effects of Holy Viaticum include:

• Strengthening: It provides spiritual strength and peace to the dying person, helping them to face death with hope.
• Forgiveness: It offers forgiveness of sins, promoting reconciliation with God.
• Union with Christ: It allows the recipient to have a deep, personal encounter with Jesus, reinforcing their faith at this crucial moment.

Anointing of the Sick is a sacrament that is intended for the healing of body and spirit. It can be administered to anyone who is seriously ill, facing surgery, or elderly. The spiritual effects of this sacrament include:

• Grace and Comfort: The sacrament brings grace and comfort to the sick person, helping them to endure their illness.
• Forgiveness of Sins: This sacrament also provides the forgiveness of sins, connecting the person to God's mercy.
• Preparation for Eternal Life: It strengthens the individual for the possibility of death, fostering hope and peace.
• Physical Healing: While not guaranteed, it can lead to physical healing through divine intervention.

Apostolic Pardon is a special blessing imparted by a priest, usually at the time of anointing of the sick or in anticipation of death. It offers complete forgiveness of the temporal punishment due to sin for a person who is truly repentant. The spiritual effects of receiving the Apostolic Pardon include:

• Full Remission of Sins: It provides a powerful promise of God’s mercy, often referred to as a "plenary indulgence."
• Assurance of Heaven: It gives the assurance that if the person dies shortly after receiving it, they may enter heaven immediately.
• Peace and Comfort: The prayer and blessing serve to comfort both the individual and their loved ones during the final moments.
• These sacraments and rites emphasize the importance of spiritual care, reconciliation, and the hope of eternal life in Catholic theology.

Adriana Urzua also died with a brown scapular around her neck. The Brown Scapular, associated with the Carmelite Order, is a popular devotion in the Catholic Church. Those who wear it with faith and devotion are believed to receive certain promises from the Blessed Virgin Mary. The most commonly cited promises include:

• Salvation: A promise that those who faithfully wear the scapular and fulfill the associated conditions will not suffer eternal damnation.
• Protection: It is said to provide spiritual protection and assistance throughout life, especially at the hour of death.
• Intercession: The Virgin Mary is believed to intercede for the wearer, especially in times of need.

The Sabbatine Privilege is a specific promise attributed to the Blessed Virgin Mary regarding those who wear the Brown Scapular. According to tradition, this privilege allows that:

• Immediate Release from Purgatory: Those who die while faithfully wearing the scapular, and who have lived according to its conditions (which include chastity according to one's state in life, daily prayer, and the observance of the five first Saturdays devotion), may be released from purgatory on the first Saturday after their death.
• This privilege reflects the Church's encouragement for devotion to Mary and the sacramental nature of the scapular, emphasizing personal responsibility and a desire for unity with Christ through Mary.

As always, it's important for the faithful to seek a deeper understanding of these devotions and to live a life of faith and good works as encouraged by the Church.

Finally, as Adriana was dying, Fr Kenneth Chukwu was at her bedside, he also gave her Holy Viaticum. After that, with his right hand raised over her, this Priest of the Most High God began telling her: “Be not afraid, take courage, Our Lord Jesus Christ is with you.” Once he finished saying this prayer and given her the courage she needed to resign herself to Gods will, she breathed her last breathe. She was bed bound, she died of cancer, her last few months consisted of prayer throughout the day and redemptive suffering. She prayed the rosary daily, for many decades, the rosary ends with “Holy Mary Mother of God pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death amen.” Our Lady honored her lifelong prayers and her lifelong faith.

Life is short, death is for sure, sin is the problem and JESUS is the cure. Adriana knew JESUS CHRIST who is the cure. She was a virtuous woman, she strived always live in a state of grace and was medicating herself with the medicine of immortality for decades.

Our days are numbered, only God knows the exact day we will die. This is called ‘Divine Providence.’ 

God has appointed the day we will die: 

• Psalm 90:10, 12 (NAB) "Seventy is the sum of our years, or eighty, if we are strong; Most of them are toil and sorrow, they pass quickly, and we are gone…Make us know the shortness of our life, that we may gain wisdom of heart."
•   Psalm 139:16 "Thy eyes beheld my unformed substance; in thy book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them."
• Lamentations 4:18 (RSV) "Men dogged our steps so that we could not walk in our streets; our end drew near; our days were numbered; for our end had come."
• Job 14:5-6 (NAB) “Since his days are determined—you know the number of his months; you have fixed the limit which he cannot pass—Look away from him and let him be, while, like a hireling, he completes his day.”
• Job 1:21 (NAB) He said, “Naked I came forth from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I go back there. The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD!”

Thomas A Kempis, The Imitation of Christ: “The hour of our death will come soon; see then how it will be with you in another world; for today a man is, tomorrow he is not. And when he is out of sight, he is quickly out of mind. How dull and hard is the man’s heart who thinks only of the present and does not look for what is to come! You should so order all your thoughts and actions as if you were to die today.”

The Latin adage grasps reality so well, talis vita, finis ita. That means the way you live is the way you die

If one lives well, a good death is likely with the grace of God.  Whereas those who live a sinful life are unlikely to make a last minute conversion and die well. "If you pray well, you will live well, if you live well, you will die well; and if you die well, all will be well."- St. Augustine.

In the final analysis, eternity, there will only be winners and losers - Heaven or Hell. We choose our own destinies - by how we live our lives and whom we follow. Adriana chose well, she chose to follow the Good Shepherd a long time ago.

Eternal rest grant unto her O Lord, and let your perpetual light shine upon her, may the soul of Adriana Urzua through the mercy of God rest in peace – amen.