LEARNING CAPSULE: Memento Mori

Death is the destiny of everyone; the living should take this to heart.

Ecclesiastes 7:2b (NIV)

MEMENTO MORI is Latin for “remember you must die.” The phrase originated in Roman times when slaves were required to whisper Memento Mori into the ears of generals during a victory parade. Christian iconography took the mantel to remind the faithful that death comes for everyone. The phrase is a reminder to embrace life, live with purpose, and cultivate an attitude of humility and gratitude.

Some specific passages related to Memento Mori in the Bible include Genesis 3:19, Ecclesiastes 7:2, Isaiah 40:6, and Psalm 90:12.

SIDE NOTE: Memento mori is a prudent way to celebrate Halloween.

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READ

READ: Why Don’t More Christians Talk About Memento Mori? / Lori Stanley Roeleveld
A quick introduction on the origins of the phrase Memento Mori and how this Latin phrase can deepen one’s faith and perspective.

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LISTEN

LISTEN: Memento Mori Special / Free from the Fruit
Learn about Memento Mori and how it serves as a reminder of one’s mortality.

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WATCH

WATCH: Why We Say ‘Memento Mori’ / Father Mike Schmitz
In an excellent seven minutes, Father Mike Schmitz gives a little history of the phrase Memento Mori and how the phrase serves as a reminder of the freedom that Christians have already died and will die.

WATCH: The Art of Dying: Memento Mori – How is it Related to Christianity? / Memento Mori
Explore the concept of Memento Mori, its significance within Christianity, its historical roots in Roman culture, and its impact on art and philosophy.

QUOTES

“Remembrance of death is completely different for the Christian. For us, death is not an inescapable, grim fate to which we must resign ourselves. Jesus conquered death and opened the gates of heaven through his death on the Cross. Astonishingly, for the Christian ‘dying is gain’ (Phil 1:21).” _{^{St. Theresa Aletheia Noble, Living Memento Mori, x, Ave Maria Press, Notre Dame, Indiana, 2019}}

“Nothing else is more efficacious in moderating our earthly desires, in promoting awareness of our eternal destiny of the immortal soul and imparting courage and consultation in the face of adversity and tribulation. For it is in mindfulness of death alone which puts our mortal life into its proper perspective.” _{^{Fr. Robert Nixon, Meditations on Death, x, TAN Books, Gastonian, North Carolina, 2022}}

“(Memento Mori) encourages us to see our daily lives as borrowed time, already given up through the spiritual death we experience with Christ. This perspective makes every moment precious guiding us to live not just toward death but from the death we have already undergone moving toward a renewed, eternal life beyond.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=coZfzW8ekuw&ab_channel=MementoMori

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