The hour of death is the “hour of truth,” Spanish bishop exhorts

Madrid, Spain, Nov 1, 2004 / 22:00 pm

On the eve of the celebration of All Saints and a day before All Souls Day, Bishop Jesus Garcia Burillo of Avila, Spain, called on the faithful to face death, “the hour of truth,” courageously and to live in love in order to live for eternity.

In a program on the COPE Radio Network, Bishop Burillo recalled that “the hour of death we can say is the hour of truth.”  It is “the hour when only what is definitive counts.  Our admiration for success, power, and riches, sustained throughout our lives, fades away in a moment.  What has been the purpose of all our desires?  Our whole life will be relativized in an instant.”

During the program, Bishop Burillo spoke about what is really necessary for that moment.  He emphasized faith and hope in the resurrection of the dead and in eternal life, as well as the need to be prepared.

“The question is: how are we preparing for that final moment?  Or how are we cultivating this eternal life which we already possess but which has not yet culminated in the final encounter with the Risen One.  The answer should be: love is the only dignified way to live, only love carries us towards that final voice: come, you blessed of my Father.”

The bishop concluded his remarks calling for prayers “on All Souls Day for all those, who are on the journey of purification, awaiting their final reward.  Our prayers make their time of waiting shorter.”