When Is Our Time to Die? - The Fr. Mike Schmitz Catholic Podcast

Summary

The Fr. Mike Schmitz Catholic Podcast
Episode: "When Is Our Time to Die?"
Release Date: December 19, 2024

Introduction

In this profound episode of The Fr. Mike Schmitz Catholic Podcast, hosted by Ascension, Fr. Mike delves into the deeply philosophical and theological question: "When is our time to die?" This episode intertwines faith, personal anecdotes, and insightful reflections to explore the essence of life's purpose and the mysteries surrounding death.

1. Clarifying the Fundamental Question

Fr. Mike begins by addressing the nuanced phrasing of the question posed to him: "Does God take us when He feels our time here is over?" He emphasizes the importance of precise language when discussing divine actions, stating:

"God is not one among many. He is the only one. God is not an opinion. God is truth. God is fact."
[00:30]

He suggests a more accurate phrasing: "Does God take us to Himself when our work here is done?" This shift moves the focus from human perceptions of God's feelings to a more objective understanding of His divine purpose.

2. Understanding God's Omniscience and Purpose

Fr. Mike explores the attributes of God, particularly His omniscience—God knows everything, including the length of our lives and the purpose behind our existence. He reflects on scripture that highlights God's comprehensive knowledge:

"Scripture even talks about how God knows that our days are numbered, that God knows how many breaths we have."
[02:15]

He posits that God's intention for each person is purposeful, regardless of the length or apparent productivity of their lives.

3. Personal Reflection: A Mother's Battle with Cancer

To illustrate his points, Fr. Mike shares a heartfelt personal story about his mother's battle with pancreatic cancer. Despite her diagnosis, she lived for three more years, a period during which she grappled with her prolonged existence:

"She was asking the question, why am I still around? What does God want me to do? Is there more He wants me to do? Is there a work?"
[05:40]

Fr. Mike discusses how this extended time allowed his mother to receive affirmations from others, underscoring the idea that existence itself can be a form of divine work.

4. The Essence of Work and Existence

Delving deeper, Fr. Mike challenges the conventional notion of "work" as mere accomplishments or contributions. He posits that simply existing—being alive—is a purposeful act in the eyes of God. He muses:

"Maybe it's not what I contribute. Maybe it's not what I do. Maybe it's not what I accomplish. Maybe it's the fact that being just existing is the work."
[09:50]

This perspective widens the understanding of life's purpose, suggesting that every individual's existence glorifies God, irrespective of their worldly achievements.

5. Theological Insights: Life Beyond Death

Fr. Mike touches upon Catholic beliefs regarding life after death, affirming:

"We believe that those who die in the Lord are alive in the Lord."
[12:30]

He emphasizes that in heaven, individuals experience God's love in unimaginable ways and continue to contribute to the divine praise and harmony, transcending earthly limitations.

6. St. John Henry Cardinal Newman's Prayer

A pivotal moment in the episode is Fr. Mike's recitation of a poignant prayer by St. John Henry Cardinal Newman. This prayer encapsulates trust in God's divine plan, regardless of life's uncertainties and challenges:

"God has created me to do him some definitive service. ... I shall trust Him. Therefore I will trust Him."
[16:10]

Fr. Mike reflects on the prayer's message, highlighting that trusting in God's purpose ensures that every individual, in every circumstance, fulfills a unique and essential role in the divine tapestry.

7. Embracing Divine Purpose Amidst Uncertainty

Concluding his reflections, Fr. Mike reaffirms his stance on the initial question. While he admits:

"Does God take us to Himself when our work here is done? I don't know."
[20:45]

He underscores the certainty of one's existence being purposeful and aligned with God's will. The very act of living is a testament to divine intention, and ultimately, trusting in God's plan brings solace and understanding beyond human comprehension.

Conclusion

In "When Is Our Time to Die?", Fr. Mike Schmitz masterfully navigates the intricate interplay between life's purpose, divine will, and the inevitability of death. Through personal anecdotes, theological insights, and heartfelt prayers, he offers listeners a comforting perspective on existence and the assurance that every life, no matter its duration or visible achievements, holds profound significance in God's grand design.

Notable Quotes:

"God is truth. God is fact. God does not take us when He feels that our work here is done or when He thinks our work here is done."
[00:50]
"The very fact that you exist means you can give glory to God."
[19:30]
"Whatever I am, I can never be thrown away. If I am in sickness, my sickness may serve Him... He does nothing in vain."
[17:55]

This episode serves as a beacon of hope and understanding for those grappling with questions about life's purpose and the nature of death, reinforcing the belief that every existence is a deliberate and cherished part of God's eternal plan.

Transcript

A (0:00)

The first thing, this. Okay, I'm going to be nitpicky and I apologize for this. Hi, my name is Father Mike Schmitz, and this is Ascension Presents. So someone recently asked me this question. They said, does God take us when he feels like our time here is over? Now, taking out the word feel like what? I think when God thinks our time here is over. Even the phrasing of the question, again, I'm not trying to be too nitpicky, but I think it's important. The phrasing of the question is, well, yeah, God just thinks this, but he could be wrong when we say it like that. God feels this, but he could be wrong. God thinks this, but he could be wrong. As opposed to, does God take us to himself when our work here is over? That's it. Because remember, God is not one among many. He is the only one. Right? God is not an opinion. God is truth. God is fact. God does not take us when he feels that our work here is done or when he thinks our work here is done. The question most clearly phrased is, does God take us to himself when our work here is done? And the answer is, I don't really know. You're like, wow, you wasted a lot of time to tell us that you don't know something. Well, wait, there's more about what I don't know, because here's what we do know. We do know that God is omniscient, right? God knows everything. So he knows. I mean, scripture even talks about how God knows that our days are numbered, that God knows how many breaths we have. God knows how many beats of our heart that we get in our lifetime. That God, he already knows, right? He's outside of time. And he's also present to us in time. And he knows. So in some ways we'd say that absolutely God knows. And he takes us to himself when our work here is done in some ways like that, right? He knows how long our lives are going to last. Secondly, we also know that our lives matter to God, that our choices matter to God. But that phrasing, when our work here is done, I think has to be understood in a broader context than we might think. Why? Because we know there are some people who have lived a long time and have done a lot of work. We also know that there are people who never saw the light of day, that they were conceived in the womb and they died in the womb or they died so young that, like, what work, quote, unquote, work was there for them to do. We have to put this into context, is that for all of us, Is it true that for all of us, God takes us to himself when our work here is done? And again, I think to ask it like that assumes a lot. Again, what we know is God knows the length of our lives. What we know is that every person who's ever been created has been created on purpose. And that's the reality. That even if someone never had a chance to take breath outside of their mother's womb, they were created on purpose, that God wanted them to exist. And this is true for you, too. Wherever you are in life, if you are, you are. You exist for one reason, and that's because God wants you to exist. What about that work part? What about this work part? You know, when my mom got diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, she was able to live for three years after the diagnosis. And it was a blessing. But I remember her asking the question because she was seeing a lot of her, you know, people who would get chemo with her or people who also had cancer or people even she grew up with. They were already dying. And she was. She was asking the question, why am I still around? She asked, even asked the question, what does God want me to do? Like, why is he keeping me around? Is there more he wants me to do? Is there a work? Like the question, is there a work that he wants me to do? And it was a question that. I mean, I think it stuck with her all the way to the end. So why am I still around? What did you want? Because she wanted to do it. Right? That was the thing, is that if God wants me around here to do something, I want to make sure I'm doing it. And after she passed away, I don't know if it was my dad or maybe it was one of my siblings who said, you know, mom had that question. The question was, why is God allowing me to live so much longer after the diagnosis? Like, what work does he want me to do? And they said maybe one of the reasons why God allowed her to live that extra time was that she could hear from others how much she meant to them, that she could hear from other people, tell her that, actually, you matter to me. Here's what you mean to me, and here's the good you brought into my life. And for her, having those extra months or however long it was to hear people tell her that she mattered, maybe that was the work. That's why I say that. I don't know if it's helpful to say, does God take us to himself when Our work here is done. But maybe it's not just work. Maybe it's not what I contribute. Maybe it's not what I do. Maybe it's not what I accomplish. Maybe it's the fact that being just existing is the work. So here's an infant that either dies in the womb or dies shortly after. He never had a chance to do all the things that we've got a chance to do. Maybe their work was to exist because. Let's pause on this for a second. We believe that those who die in the Lord are alive in the Lord. And so even if the accomplishments they could have on this earth are done, they're active in heaven. Pause on this for one moment and realize that in heaven they are experiencing, receiving God's love in a way that you and I could never even imagine. They're also able to give God praise and love and others love and support in a way that we could not ever dream of or imagine. There's a prayer in the Mass that says, we believe that with death, life is changed, not ended. And so this deep and profound truth of when our work here is done. Yeah, but even if someone died so young and they never were able to accomplish anything on this earth other than maybe, maybe their parents loved them, maybe their parents didn't love them, but they exist now. And maybe that existence, the very fact of their existence, is their work. Because the fact that they exist, the fact that you exist, points to God. Does that make sense? I don't know. Is this. It's a great question, and I'm very, very nitpicky about the whole thing today. And I apologize. But I'm going to leave with one last thing. It's a prayer from A man named St. John Henry Cardinal Newman. So he's a cardinal in the Catholic Church. We named the Newman House Newman center after him. And he said this. I'm going to read it because it's kind of important. So when it comes to the task we have in this life, that task we have on this earth, he said this. He said, God has created me to do him some definitive service. He has committed some work to me which he has not committed to another. I have my mission. I may never know it in this life, but I shall be told it in the next. I am a link in a chain, a bond of connection between persons. He has not created me for naught. I shall do good. I shall do his work. I shall be an angel of peace, a preacher of truth in my own place, while not intending it. If I do but keep his commandments. Lastly, he said, therefore I will trust Him. I love this. Therefore I will trust Him. Why? Because I've been made on purpose. There's some kind of purpose. And that purpose could just be simply be to exist and glorify God. He says, therefore I will trust Him. Whatever I am, I can never be thrown away. If I am in sickness, my sickness may serve Him. In perplexity, my perplexity may serve him. If I am in sorrow, my sorrow may serve Him. He does nothing in vain. He knows what he is about. He may take away my friends. He may throw me among strangers. He may make me feel desolate, make my spirits sink, Hide my future from me. Still he knows what he is about. So does God take us when our work here is done? I don't know. But I do know that the very fact that you exist means you can give glory to God. Because the very fact that you exist means that he wants you to be, when the time comes, to be on this earth to an end. There he wants you to be with him forever. In heaven anyways. From the citizens Presents. My name is Father Mike. God bless. Therefore I will trust Him. If I'm in sickness, therefore I will trust Him. Whatever I am, whatever. Therefore I will trust Him. Little beeper. Therefore I will trust Him.