It is a blessing to be prepared for the moment of death. We would rather avoid thinking about dying, hoping for many more years ahead. But the moment will come for each one of us. When I visit an older person who is sick and bring the sacrament of anointing, very often I hear from them that they are ready to go. I hear things like -- I had a great life, I was blessed with a wonderful family, good friends, I did make some mistakes in life, but I always tried to be honest, forgiving, and loving, and I never lost my faith. Now, I am ready to go. I wish one day I could say that. “There was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon. This man was righteous and devout, awaiting the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he should not see death before he had seen the Christ of the Lord.” Simeon was ‘righteous and devout’ and after meeting the Lord he said “Lord, now let your servant go in peace.” Only when we meet the Lord in this life, we will be able to repeat after Simeon - Lord, now I am ready to go in peace.
