The coronavirus pandemic is impacting our lives at all levels, at home and at school, at work and at play. It affects our relationships, our spirituality, and our finances. It has led to physical suffering, emotional distress, and death.

The unpredictability of the virus can be stressful. How long will this go on? After recovering from COVID-19, is there a lasting immunity, or is it possible to get re-infected? When will a vaccine be available to us? Just how careful do I need to be? Who will be infected next? Will I lose loved ones? What if I contract the virus?

By now, many of us know someone personally who has died of COVID-19. Beloved members of our families and our parish communities have passed away. Their loss has caused grief and mourning. Those of us who survive must face our own vulnerability and mortality.

This presents a tremendous opportunity to think through our personal preparation for the end of life. Psalm 90:12 says, “Teach us to number our days aright, so that we may gain wisdom of heart.” When we are placed in a situation of facing the fact of the shortness of life, it can help us to put our priorities in order.

I had a friend who said he was atheist. He told me, “I don’t believe in God, but maybe when I get to be an old man, then I will start believing in him.” While his approach may seem clever, none of us knows how many days we have left on this earth. Our religion inspires us to live now in faith, hope, and love, and to prepare our souls for the next life. Christ calls us to choose him and follow him now. He says, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Mt 4:17). St. Paul says, “Now is the hour of salvation” (2 Cor 6:2).

According to our Christian faith, for those who die in the grace of Christ, death is not a tragedy, but a positive and holy experience. It is a participation in the death of Jesus Christ, so that we can also share in his resurrection (see Rom 6:3-9 and Phil 3:10-11). St. Paul says, “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. … My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better” (Phil 1:21-23). At the end of her life, St. Thérèse of Lisieux expressed a similar perspective: “I am not dying; I am entering life” ( The Last Conversations).

As Christians, we believe that every human being will be judged by God upon death. The Catechism of the Catholic Church says that “Death puts an end to human life as the time open to either accepting or rejecting the divine grace manifested in Christ” (CCC, no. 1021). It is never too early to say yes to Jesus Christ and get on the right path.

Our Church calls us to remember our mortality, and to prepare ourselves for the hour of our death. We have only a limited time in this life, and we have only one life to live. There is no “reincarnation” after death (CCC, no. 1013). The way we live in this life has an impact on our eternal life. St. Francis of Assisi says, “Praised are you, my Lord, for our sister bodily death, from whom no living man can escape. Woe on those who will die in mortal sin! Blessed are they who will be found in your most holy will, for the second death will not harm them” ( Canticle of the Creatures).

Thomas à Kempis says, “Every action of yours, every thought, should be those of one who expects to die before the day is out. Death would have no terrors for you if you had a quiet conscience. … Then why not keep clear of sin instead of running away from death? If you aren’t fit to face death today, it’s very unlikely you will be tomorrow.” ( The Imitation of Christ, 1, 23, 1).

God has given us what we need to prepare spiritually for death. He has shown us the proper way to live by obeying his Commandments. He has instilled in every human heart the gift of the moral conscience, to help us avoid sin and apply his law in particular circumstances. He has sent us his Son Jesus Christ to show us the path to eternal life. He gives us wisdom and guidance through the Scriptures and the teachings of the church. He offers us the sacraments for the spiritual good of our souls.

Here are some things we can all do to prepare for a happy death: Love God. Love our neighbor as ourselves. Reconcile with God by turning away from our sins. Reconcile with others by offering forgiveness and seeking forgiveness. Fulfill our basic duties in life. Pray. Ask God what he wants us to do. Carry out the corporal and spiritual works of mercy. Live the beatitudes. Offer our sufferings in union with the sacrifice of Christ on the Cross in atonement for our sins and those of the whole world. Receive the sacraments frequently — especially confession and Communion.

Despite the limitations of the current pandemic, our priests are available in our churches to hear confessions and absolve sins. I recommend to our people that they contact their local parish, find out the times that confession is available, and prepare personally to make a good confession. (As a side note, while I was writing this article, sitting in the DFW Airport, just a few minutes after I composed this paragraph, a complete stranger approached me and asked if I would hear his confession. Perfect timing.)

Besides being spiritually prepared for the reality of death, it is also prudent to be prepared practically. This includes creating or updating our will and other important personal documents. When we have a will in place, it can make decisions much easier for our family and loved ones. Our choice of beneficiaries is an expression of our values. Regardless of whether or not we have any financial resources to pass along, we can all write down the principles, insights, morals, beliefs, and devotions that we have found important in our life and that we want to pass on to our family and others.

Our practical preparation also includes writing down our preferences for funeral services and making plans for our burial. It is very helpful to write down our desires and talk them over with someone we love. These could include, among other things, our preferences regarding the place for the funeral, the place for the burial, music to be used in the funeral services, names and contact information for potential pallbearers and lectors, and Scripture selections from the Order of Christian Funerals.

On our website, the Diocese of San Angelo provides a sample form for designation of a health care agent for medical power of attorney ( https://sanangelodiocese.org/end-of-life-preparation). This is a way to appoint someone to make medical decisions on our behalf if we become unable to do so.

The website of the National Catholic Bioethics Center offers a Catholic Guide to Palliative Care and Hospice as well as a Catholic Guide to End-of-Life Decisions ( https://www.ncbcenter.org/store). These are very helpful resources.

As people of faith, we need to approach the current pandemic with seriousness and prudence, but not with panic or alarm. We take reasonable steps to protect the health and well-being of ourselves and others, and we use our creativity to make the most of this difficult situation. We allow the Holy Spirit to inspire us to greater holiness through it all. We allow Jesus Christ to accompany us through these trying times. We reflect on our own vulnerability and mortality. We make time to do activities that bring joy. We attend to the needs of others. We use the means available to us to help make connections to the ones we love. We let people know we care about them. We give thanks to God for each new day of life. We repent of our sins and trust in the loving mercy of God. We live fully in the present with an eye to eternity.