Three prayers to help you embrace “memento mori” this Halloween

“Memento mori” is a term I’ve seen floating around the Catholic blogosphere (and Twitter especially) a lot in the past few years, but only recently have I really taken the time to look closer at the ancient tradition.

The phrase is Latin, and translates to “remember your death.” Though it may seem morbid — the practice is anything but. Rather than obsessing over death to the point of despair, “memento mori” is an invitation to live our lives more intentionally, remembering that each moment is a gift that shouldn’t be wasted.

Historically, “memento mori” was embraced through traditions like sleeping in caskets or kissing skulls. Today, there are a plethora of booklets, themed rosaries, and other sacramentals to help honor the phrase. 

Why it’s Perfect for Halloween

As Halloween is the vigil of All Saint’s Day (which is then followed by All Soul’s Day), it is a fitting time to consider our own deaths. There are so many ways to do this. 

Humans are visual creatures, and as such, our environment can do a lot to affect our mindset. Picking up a piece of artwork or even adding a skull to your prayer space may seem macabre, but the visual reminder can be a powerful aid to keep us focused on the temporary nature of life — and more importantly, keep us focused on living each day with eternity in mind.

On top of adding a visual to your prayer space, you can also practice “memento mori” by taking some time to reflect on your life. How have you lived your life up to this point? How could you live it better? If you were to die at this very moment, would you go to heaven? In what ways have you wasted your time? And most importantly, how can you use the time you have left better? 

Three Prayers for “Memento Mori“

There are plenty of Catholic prayers out there that embrace the spirit of Memento mori. Here are a few of my favorites that you can pray today.

A Prayer Taken from the Fifth Station of Cross:

My most sweet Jesus, I will not refuse the cross as the Cyrenian did; I accept it, I embrace it. I accept in particular the death that Thou hast destined for me, with all the pains which may accompany it.

Amen.

A Prayer for a Happy Death:

O God, great and omnipotent judge of the living and the dead, we are to appear before you after this short life to render an account of our works. Give us the grace to prepare for our last hour by a devout and holy life, and protect us against a sudden and unprovided death.

Let us remember our frailty and mortality, that we may always live in the ways of your commandments. Teach us to “watch and pray” (Lk 21:36), that when your summons comes for our departure from this world, we may go forth to meet you, experience a merciful judgment, and rejoice in everlasting happiness. We ask this through Christ our Lord.

Amen.

An Act of Faith in Preparation for the Hour of Death:

This one is a long one, but well worth every word. The prayer looks ahead, focusing on preparing our souls for the final struggle against the devil at the last moment of our lives. Since we cannot know when death will come, or what state-of-mind we will be in at that time, it is important to pray for the graces we will need now when we are able.

On my journey toward eternity, dear Lord, I am surrounded by powerful enemies of my soul. I live in fear and trembling, especially at the thought of the hour of death, on which my eternity will depend, and of the fearful struggle that the devil will then have to wage against me, knowing that little time is left for him to accomplish my eternal ruin.

I desire, therefore, O Lord, to prepare myself for it from this hour, by offering you now, in view of my last hour, my profession of faith and love for you, which is so effectual in repressing and rendering useless all the crafty and wicked schemes of the enemy and which I resolve to oppose to him at that moment of such grave consequence, even though he should dare alone to attack with his deceits the peace and tranquility of my spirit.

I [name here], in the presence of the Most Holy Trinity, the blessed Virgin Mary, my holy Guardian Angel and the entire heavenly host, affirm that I wish to live and die under the standard of the Holy Cross.

I firmly believe all that our Holy Mother, the holy, catholic and apostolic Church, believes and teaches. It is my steadfast intention to die in this holy faith, in which all the holy martyrs, confessors and virgins of Christ have died, as well as all those who have saved their souls.

If the devil should tempt me to despair because of the multitude and grievousness of my sins, I affirm that from this day forth I firmly hope in the infinite mercy of God, which will not let itself be overcome by my sins, and in the Precious Blood of Jesus which has washed all my sins away.

If the devil should assail me with temptations to presumption by reason of the small amount of good which by the help of God I may have been able to accomplish, I confess from this day forth that I deserve eternal separation from God a thousand times by my sins and I entrust myself entirely to the infinite goodness of God, through whose grace alone I am what I am.

Finally, if the evil spirit should suggest to me that the pains inflicted upon me by our Lord in that last hour of my life are too heavy to bear, I affirm now that all will be as nothing in comparison with the punishments, I have deserved throughout life.

In the bitterness of my soul I call to remembrance all my years; I see my iniquities, I confess them and detest them. Ashamed and sorrowful I turn to you, my God, my Creator, and my Redeemer. Forgive me, O Lord, by the multitude of your mercies; forgive your servant whom you have redeemed by your Precious Blood.

My God, I turn to you, I call upon you, I trust in you; to your infinite goodness I commit the entire reckoning of my life. I have sinned greatly, O Lord: enter not into judgment with your servant, who surrenders to you and confesses his guilt.

Of myself I cannot make satisfaction to you for my countless sins: I do not have the means to pay you for my infinite debt. But your Son has shed his Blood for me, and greater than all mine sins is your mercy.

O Jesus, be my Saviour! At the hour of my fearful crossing to eternity put to flight the enemy of my soul; grant me grace to overcome every difficulty, for you alone do mighty wonders.

Lord, according to the multitude of your tender mercies I shall enter into your dwelling place. Trusting in your pity, I commend my spirit into your hands! May the Blessed Virgin Mary and my Guardian Angel accompany my soul into the heavenly country.

Amen.

Conclusion

Most people seem to live as if they have an infinite supply of days. We all know that this is not the case … and yet we waste time, ignoring the elephant in the room. Ignoring that every second wasted is a second we will never get back — and that eventually, we will be all out of seconds altogether.

Embracing the tradition of Memento mori can help us not only in preparing for our death but also in living our lives to the absolute fullest — not as culture would have us believe, in the frittering away of time in pleasure and endless bucket-lists, but as men and women of Christ who strive daily for Sainthood.

Then, at last, when the time comes and our final hour is nigh, we might finally hear those oft longed-for words: “Well done, good and faithful servant.”