Always Keep Death Before You

Memento Mori, the Rule of St. Benedict, & Blink 182's New Song

I grew up listening to a lot of punk rock music. One band that I snuck into my playlist without my parents noticing (because they had many inappropriate songs!) was Blink 182. I haven’t listened to them in years, but a few days ago, they came out with a new song (One More Time) that caught my attention. The band had broken up, and one of the band members hadn’t spoken to them in years. Yet a diagnosis of cancer in one of them changed everything. They got back together as Mark received his chemo treatment.

Listening to the song I couldn’t help but think of the popular phrase among the saints, monks, and desert fathers: “memento mori or remember your death.” The phrase isn’t meant to send a person into hopeless grief and despair, but to aid the person in spending their day as if it was their last. How would I treat other people? What would I do with my time? What is my relationship with God like?

Here are few quotes related to this spirituality of death (with a video reviewing the song below)

“Keep death daily before your eyes.” -St. Benedict

“Someone who is always thinking about happiness is a fool. A wise person thinks about death.”(Ecclesiastes 7:4)

The Book of Sirach urges, “In all you do, remember the end of your life, and then you will never sin” (7:36).

“You are dust, and to dust you shall return” (Gen 3:19)

“If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me” (Lk 9:23).

St Maximas the Confessor writes: "Nothing is more fearful than the thought of death, and nothing is more marvelous than the memory of God."

St. Athanasias the Great writes: "Recall your exodus every hour; keep death before your eyes on a daily basis. Remember before whom you must appear."

“May the Almighty Lord grant us a restful night and a peaceful death.” (from the Final Blessing of Night Prayers of the Liturgy of the Hours)

Finally, you can watch a short video with clips from the song that brings out the teaching of Scripture and the fathers. Enjoy! -Kyle

"When Mark told me he was sick, it was like nothing matters really. For me it was always heavy on my heart that our friendship wasn't mended. All of us have lived through tragedies now that tear apart places in your heart and you've got to mend them back together and figure out how to be a better version of yourself." Tom of Blink 182 speaking of his bandmate, Mark