WHAT IS 'MEMENTO MORI'?

Memento Mori, the Latin phrase for "Remember Your Death," refers to the Catholic practice of reflecting on one's own mortality & the shortness of our earthly life so as to gain wisdom of heart to prioritize the things of God & to maintain an eternal perspective.

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Psalm 90:12

"Teach us to number our days

aright, that we may gain wisdom of heart."

When we see a skull our first instinct is to think of halloween or the occult. However, the skull is a key piece of ancient Catholic iconography. One classic example of this mindset is the famous painting 'St. Jerome Writing' by Caravaggio which depicts a skull on his desk (see image above). You will also notice that many ancient crucifixes depict a skull & crossbones at the foot of the cross to symbolize Jesus' victory over death. There is also a tradition that the first man, Adam, was buried in the same location where Jesus was crucified, and that Jesus' blood soaked into the ground & touched the skull of Adam, symbolizing the washing away of original sin. In fact, in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, below Calvary is the 'Chapel of Adam' where he is believed to have been buried. Some historians even claim that 'Golgotha' which means 'Place of the Skull' (another name for Calvary, the site of Jesus' crucifixion) could be a reference to the fact that it was believed to be Adam's burial place.

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Lastly, keep in mind that for the Christian death is not to be feared. For it is merely the beginning of our life with God in eternity. In fact, the feast days of many saints are celebrated each year on the date that they died, as it is seen as their kind of 'birthday' into eternal life! Recall also the saints of old who sang hymns on the way to their martyrdom, or of St. Lawrence, the 3rd century deacon martyr who was burned alive, and had the supernatural fortitude to say, "I'm done on this side. You can flip me over now." Indeed, as Romans 14:8 says, "Whether we live or die, we are the Lord's."

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Hosea 13:14 / 1 Cor 15:55

"Where, O death, is your victory?

Where, O death, is your sting?"

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