The Taste of Death
Not an appealing title, sorry. Jesus tells us to take up our cross and follow Him. If you take up your cross, what do you think it leads to? Death, of course. Is it proper to desire death?
Not to be overwhelmingly morbid, no we do not desire death, particularly when we think we have a lot of living to do. No matter your age, 2 or 92, we tend to think we have a lot of living to do.
When someone recovers from cancer or a horrible automobile accident many people will say God still wants them, God must have a plan for them. Seldom do we remember that survivors of cancer or automobile accidents seldom come through unscathed. They may a have physical, mental, or emotional handicap they must bear. From a religious point of view, we would say they need to carry their cross.
When you have an overwhelming desire for something, for example a good steak, a new car, or you choose, our desire might be so intense we can say we can taste it, we imagine our desire through our sense of taste. Is our desire for heaven so great that we can taste it?
Every Eucharist is a taste of heaven. Knowing that we must die before we can go to heaven can we say we desire to taste death? Remember Jesus hugged, clung to the cross. He could taste death.
May the Lord bless you in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen