Seventeenth century artist Georges de la Tour painted several versions of The Repentant Magdalene. They picture the saint holding a skull, obviously meditating on death in a scene dramatically lit by a single candle. The custom of Memento mori (Latin: “remember that you have to die”) is the practice of reflection on mortality, especially as a means of considering the vanity of earthly life and the transient nature of all earthly goods and pursuits. Jesus tells us “unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains just a grain of wheat; but if it dies, it produces much fruit.” Practicing memento mori in our own prayer helps us to make sure that we are living in a way worthy of dying.
