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- It was God himself who first gave this admonition to fallen Adam (Ge 3:19). Such admonitions we find in the Old and New Testament, and that very frequently, no doubt with intent to remind us constantly of the final day, of the end of life.
Aug 9, 2024 · Where Does Memento Mori Come From? Like many Latin phrases, memento mori is based on ancient Greek or Roman ideas. In Plato’s Phaedo , Socrates argues that the sole purpose of philosophy “is to practice for dying and death.”
- Stoics
- Romans
- Egyptians
- Buddhists
- Catholics
- Danse Macabre
- Vanitas
- Mourning Rings
Seneca urged in his Moral Letters to Lucilius, “Let us prepare our minds as if we’d come to the very end of life. Let us postpone nothing. Let us balance life’s books each day…The one who puts the finishing touches on their life each day is never short of time.” In Meditations, Marcus Aurelius wrote to himself: “You could leave life right now. Let ...
Memento Mori is believed to have originated from an ancient Roman tradition. After a major military victory, the triumphant military generals were paraded through the streets to the roars of the masses. The ceremonial procession could span the course of a day with the military leader riding in a chariot drawn by four horses. There was not a more co...
Of the seven ancient wonders of the world, only one remains intact – the Great Pyramid of Giza. How the ancient Egyptians transported over 170,000 tons of limestone to erect the pyramid continues to puzzle archaeologists, but the why is better known. Preceding the pointed smooth-sided pyramids were bench-shaped mounds called mastabas, built atop th...
Mindfulness of death is a central teaching in Buddhism. The meditative practice maranasati, meaning “death awareness,” is considered essential to better living. It brings recognition to the transitory nature of one’s physical life, and stimulates the question of whether or not one is making the right use of their fragile and precious life. As Buddh...
The Bible is the most read book in the world. The most read book of the most read book is the book of Psalms from the Old Testament. It is also the longest book of the Bible, and the most quoted book in the New Testament. Theologists attribute its reverence to capturing human emotion, not just in the joys of life, but in the struggles as well. C.S....
The Late Middle Ages was a period of devastation. A catastrophic plague, the Black Death, devastated Europe, killing an estimated 25 million people – one-third of the population. Out of the grim horrors and fight for survival grew an art genre called Danse Macabre, meaning Dance or Death. Like plague, Danse Macabre illustrates the all-conquering po...
Life is fleeting so best to not waste it on meaningless goods and pleasures. That’s the message behind vanitas art. Inspired by the first chapter of Ecclesiastes (“vanity of vanity, all is vanity”), Dutch Golden Age artists of the 17th century used still-life as moral instruction. Artists emphasized the emptiness and futility of earthly items. Skul...
Plagues, wars, and massacres aside, people of the Regency and Victorian eras dealt too with some of the highest infant mortality rates in history. Without vaccines to control illness, mothers lost the life of their newborn, and sometimes their own, at an alarming rate. Documentation started to be kept in a yearly Bill of Mortality. To say death was...
The word is a Pāli compound of maraṇa 'death' (an Indo-European cognate of Latin mori) and sati 'awareness', so very close to memento mori. It is first used in early Buddhist texts, the suttapiṭaka of the Pāli Canon, with parallels in the āgamas of the "Northern" Schools.
Memento Mori. remember death. It was God himself who first gave this admonition to fallen Adam ( Ge 3:19 ). Such admonitions we find in the Old and New Testament, and that very frequently, no doubt with intent to remind us constantly of the final day, of the end of life.
Aug 31, 2018 · Consider just two reasons memento mori still matters today. 1. Death Puts Our Other Problems in Perspective. When the reality of death fades to the background of our consciousness, other joy-stealing problems are quick to rise up and fill the void. French philosopher Blaise Pascal put his finger on this problem four hundred years ago.
Mar 12, 2024 · 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 just a phrase; it was a cultural practice.
1 day ago · Memento mori. Remember that you will die. ... Then live accordingly. As St. Thérèse of Lisieux said, “It is not Death that will come to fetch me — it is the good God.” ... ‘A Bible Made ...
