Can the Meaning of Memento Mori Be Encouraging for Christians?

“Nothing gets done and not using a deadline,” my boss used to say. I used to be reminded of his rule as I checked out what memento mori means.

However, this may increasingly not be true in every case. Things can get done and not using a deadline, but giving an endpoint for a project engenders a certain quantity of motivation. When setting a date for a marriage, certain things must get done, and plans are made with that time in mind. Other events are similar of their ability to force us to get things done. Graduation. Birthday parties.

As an writer, I like deadlines—realistic ones, at the least. I make my very own even when a publisher or editor doesn’t provide one. I get more done that way.

Death awaits us all. It’s not fun to think or speak about, but we’ll all face the tip of this life. It behooves us to arrange for it. So, what does memento mori teach us about preparing well for death?

What Does the Phrase Memento Mori Mean?

Memento mori is a Latin phrase that translates into English as “do not forget that you’ll die.”

The phrase originated in ancient Rome and was used as a verbal or visual reminder of mortality. Throughout the Middle Ages and Renaissance periods, memento mori became a outstanding theme in art, particularly in Christian iconography. Artists depicted images of death, decay, and earthly pleasures’ transience as a reminder of life’s impermanence and the necessity to arrange for the afterlife. Paintings, sculptures, and spiritual artifacts often featured symbols corresponding to skulls, hourglasses, or wilted flowers to convey the message of memento mori.

In addition to its artistic representations, the concept of memento mori has played a big role in philosophical and spiritual teachings. Stoic philosophers corresponding to Seneca and Marcus Aurelius emphasized contemplating death to embrace life fully and live with purpose and virtue. For Stoics, meditating on death’s inevitability served to cultivate gratitude, resilience, and inner peace within the face of life’s uncertainties.

In contemporary society, the souvenir mori concept is a still relevant reminder of life’s impermanence. It encourages individuals to live intentionally, cherish meaningful relationships, and pursue purposeful endeavors. Yes, contemplating mortality may evoke discomfort or existential dread. However, it will possibly also encourage individuals to cultivate gratitude, live authentically, and embrace life’s fullness.

Where Does Memento Mori Come From?

The concept of memento mori has ancient roots, back to ancient Rome, where it served as a poignant reminder of death’s inevitability.

In ancient Rome, memento mori was not only a phrase; it was a cultural practice. It was customary for Roman generals, politicians, and aristocrats to have a slave or servant accompany them during parades, triumphs, or public events. The slave’s role was to whisper memento mori or Respice post te. Hominem te memento (“Look behind you. Remember that you simply are mortal”) into the ear of the person being celebrated. This practice aimed to instill humility, reminding those with power and prestige that their mortality and earthly accomplishments were fleeting.

The Romans built their empire upon the inspiration of the Greek societies—Greek philosophy, government, and military achievements. In particular, Greek military structure and strategy, reaching its peak under Alexander the Great, became Rome’s engine of conquest. They took pride of their legions, their battle valor. With this military power structure, it is sensible that the Romans glorified death to some extent.

Memento mori’s influence could be seen today in various cultural practices and traditions worldwide. In some cultures, rituals for death and mourning remind people of the importance of cherishing life. For example, Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) in Mexico and All Saints’ Day in Roman Catholicism are occasions for honoring deceased family members.

Does Christianity Change What Memento Mori Means to Us?

While the phrase still carries the elemental reminder of mortality, Christianity adds layers of intending to how we understand death.

The Bible incessantly emphasizes life’s brevity and the necessity to prioritize spiritual matters over worldly pursuits. Ecclesiastes 7:2 states, “It is healthier to go to a house of mourning than to go to a house of feasting, for death is the destiny of everyone; the living should take this to heart.” Solomon, the author of Ecclesiastes, encourages believers to intentionally consider death despite how uncomfortable and inconvenient this is likely to be. Wisdom teaches us to think about our days are short.

The New Testament echoes this sentiment in Ephesians 5:15-16: “See then that you simply walk circumspectly, not as fools but as clever, redeeming the time, since the days are evil.” The days are evil because they’re short and numbered. Short lives weren’t a part of the unique design, so life’s temporary nature is “evil.” However, Paul tells us in Ephesians we will redeem our temporary time here. How? Living in Christ and his everlasting life makes our lives meaningful. Jesus put death to death, and we transcend all of it through him.

The reminder of coming death also connects to the biblical expression of death coming suddenly. James 4:14 warns against making guarantees because nobody is promised tomorrow.

For Christians, death shouldn’t be viewed as the ultimate end but relatively as a transition to the afterlife. Therefore, memento mori takes on a dual significance for Christians. On the one hand, it reminds us that earthly life is transient and unsure, prompting believers to live with purpose and urgency. We see this in passages like James 4:14: “Why, you don’t even know what’s going to occur tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for somewhat while after which vanishes.” On the opposite hand, memento mori points believers toward the hope of everlasting life and the reassurance of salvation through Jesus Christ. For example, Jesus says in John 11:25-26, “I’m the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, despite the fact that they die, and whoever lives by believing in me won’t ever die.”

This reality grants every act (irrespective of how minor) purpose, if the act is completed with an everlasting perspective. Believers are called to live under God’s will and to hunt the Kingdom of Heaven, as stated in Matthew 6:33, “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all this stuff might be given to you as well.”

Furthermore, Christianity provides comfort and consolation within the face of mortality. It offers the promise of resurrection, the hope of reunion with family members within the presence of God. 1 Thessalonians 4:13-14 assures believers, “Brothers and sisters, we are not looking for you to be uninformed about those that sleep in death, so that you simply don’t grieve like the remaining of humanity, who don’t have any hope. For we imagine that Jesus died and rose again, and so we imagine that God will bring with Jesus those that have fallen asleep in him.” This belief within the resurrection transforms memento mori from a mere reminder of mortality to a source of hope and luxury.

How Should Christians View Memento Mori?

For Christians, viewing memento mori involves embracing a balanced perspective that acknowledges the fact of mortality while affirming the hope of salvation and everlasting life through Jesus Christ.

1. Acceptance of Mortality. We should recognize and accept death’s inevitability as a natural a part of the human experience. Psalm 90:12 exhorts, “Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.” Reminding ourselves and each other to think about our finite variety of days is the pathway to greater wisdom. We live with intentionality, prioritizing what matters and benefiting from our time on earth.
2. Reflection on Life’s Meaning. Contemplating memento mori encourages us to reflect on life’s meaning and purpose in light of eternity. Ecclesiastes 12:13 reminds us, “Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for that is the duty of all mankind.” Understanding the brevity of life prompts us to hunt wisdom, pursue righteousness, and live in alignment with God’s will.
3. Humility and Gratitude. Recognizing mortality reminds us to be thankful and humble. We completely rely upon God and his grace. We rejoice and experience everlasting joy now due to God’s work through Christ, to take our dead sinful life and produce us to latest life, reborn from heaven to live in him now and without end.
4. Preparation for Eternity. Memento mori serves as a reminder to arrange for eternity by placing our faith in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. When eternity becomes our focus, we speak of the subsequent life as real, something of substance. Placing faith in Christ, we gain heaven and more, escaping death’s finality. We live with confidence and assurance in God’s guarantees. This further motivates us to talk the Gospel of Jesus to those we love and take care of.
5. Living with Purpose. Along with hope of the life to return, contemplating memento mori prompts us to live with purpose and intentionality, investing our time, talents, and resources in ways in which honor God and profit others. Colossians 3:17 teaches, “And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do all of it within the name of the Lord Jesus, giving due to God the Father through him.” This mindset encourages us to make every moment count and steward our lives for God’s glory and everlasting reward.
6. Comfort in Grief. Jesus beat death, and death not has its everlasting sting. But death still hurts and causes pain. Memento mori offers comfort and hope to us in times of grief and loss. It reminds us of the promise of resurrection, the reassurance of reunion with family members in God’s presence. When Jesus got here to his friend’s grave, he grieved despite the fact that he was about to boost Lazarus from the dead (John 11). God doesn’t dismiss pain, and we’re called to weep with those that weep (Romans 12:15), affirming the agony of death on this world.

We should view memento mori as a sobering yet hopeful reminder of life’s brevity, the importance of living with purpose and gratitude, and the promise of everlasting life through faith in Jesus Christ. By embracing a balanced perspective on mortality, we will find wisdom, comfort, and assurance amid life’s tragedies.

Peace.

Photo Credit:©GettyImages/yuriz

Britt Mooney lives and tells great stories. As an writer of fiction and non -iction, he’s keen about teaching ministries and nonprofits the ability of storytelling to encourage and spread truth. Mooney has a podcast called Kingdom Over Coffee and is a broadcast writer of We Were Reborn for This: The Jesus Model for Living Heaven on Earth in addition to Say Yes: How God-Sized Dreams Take Flight.

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