Is it Death that I Fear?

Module in LIFE AND BEYOND

INTRODUCTION
Death – a word that scares all, triggers the curiosity of some,
and something to avoid for many. But knowing that death is
truly and really inevitable, shall we still fear death?

This module will help the learners to appreciate and value

life and the thought of ending our precious life scares us.
That the fear of death is not uncommon to humanity and
every time we thought that we’ll be gone frightens us. And
the death which we fear the most is the consequence of our
sins.
 CONTENT STANDARD
The learner demonstrates an understanding of
the fear of death as a natural expression of
every individual facing the misfortunes of
life and everyone faces death because of the
original sin we inherited from our first
parents.
 PERFORMANCE
STANDARD
The learner should be able to
understand the original sin as the
reason of humanity's death resulting
to the frailty of mankind and the
fear of death.
 LEARNING
COMPETENCIES
At the end of the discussion, students will be
able to evaluate the reasons behind the death
of humankind (from Genesis) and write a
short eulogy for one's self (maybe death of
one's self 50 years from now) to assess the
kind of life they want and how they want to
be remembered.
 CHRISTIAN
MESSAGE
Doctrine: Death is the consequence of our sin.

Moral: Jesus’ death on the cross is the key that enables us to see death not as
a mere endpoint of our biological existence, but rather, as pledge of eternal life.

Worship: Pray that we will not fear death, instead an opportunity to enter
eternal life with God the Father.
 Learning
Output
Short Eulogy
 Time
Duration
4 hours
I. Initial Activity
Come up with the
ideas related to
death. The words DEATH
should be related or
connected to the
word DEATH.
 II. Why do I fear death?
Everyone wishes to live forever.
No one wants to die. Fear of death
is not uncommon to humanity. The
thought that one day we will be
gone frightens and gives us a sad
feeling. This thought can lead to
depression and paralyze our life
instead of making us appreciate the
joy of living.
 II. Why do I fear death?

Thanatophobia – the
fear of death

Necrophobia – the fear

of the dead persons.
 II. Why do I fear death?

Everyone must prepare for our

death by living life to the fullest.
Death is the reality of our life we
are left with no option, but to face
and accept it. We are afraid of death
because we will be leaving the
world we live in and will embark
on a journey of uncertainty.
 II. Why do I fear death?

The Church teachers: “It is in the

face of death that the riddle a
human existence grows more acute.
Not only man is tormented by pain
and by the advancing deterioration
of his body, but even more so by a
dread of perpetual extinction.”
(GS18)
 II. Why do I fear death?

Death is a fact of
experience. We see
people dying everyday,
yet the real nature of
death escapes us.
 II. Why do I fear death?
Death is defined as the separation
of body and soul. In Sacred
Scripture, to die is “to depart” or to
“be away from the body” (Phil
1:23; 2 Cor 5:8). These and other
analogous expressions suggest that
death is the dissolution of the unity
in man, or the moment in which the
soul leaves the body.
video
III. Death: Consequence of Sin

Every time we commit sins, we miss the

opportunity to get closer to God. He
gives us targets, goals, and standards to
aim and God wants us not to miss those
by always obeying Him because every
time we disobey Him, we commit sins.
III. Death: Consequence of Sin
Even after we receive the sacrament of
Baptism we still commit sins as one of
the consequences of the sin of our first
parents is our inclination to commit sin.
This is known as concupiscence. This
inclination remains with us even after
Baptism or after Confession.
III. Death: Consequence of Sin
The Church wants us to cling to
prayers, mortification and
practice virtues so that this
inclination will be subjected to
reason and be illumined by
grace.
III. Death: Consequence of Sin
When God created man, besides investing him with
the supernatural gifts of grace, he gave him other
privileges. These are known as the preternatural
gifts. These gifts are integrity, immortality and
impassability. The gift of integrity is the perfect
subjection of sensuality to reason, of the body to the
soul, of the will to God. Immortality means that the
human person will not die; will not experience the
separation of body and soul. Impassability means
that the human person is immune from all suffering
and misery. (cf. Belmonte, 1993).
III. Death: Consequence of Sin
After sin, Adam lost the preternatural gift of
immortality, together with all the other gratuitous gifts
and privileges, both supernatural and preternatural.
This loss affects his descendants as well. From then
on, man had to die as a consequence of nature, since
the body is naturally corruptible, and also as a penalty,
part of the punishment involving the loss of the
supernatural life and preternatural gifts or privileges
enjoyed by our first parents.
III. Death: Consequence of Sin
What followed from the soul’s rebelling against God
was the rebellion and disorder of the appetites (fomes
peccati) and the entry of death, the “wages of sin”
(Rom 6:23), into a world that had been made for life.
“Bodily death, from which man would have been
immune had he not sinned” (cf. Wis 1:13; 2:23–24;
Rom 5:21; 6:23; Jas 1:15), is thus the last enemy of
man, which must be overcome (cf. 1 Cor 15:16).
III. Death: Consequence of Sin

The penal character of death is a dogma of faith that

is solemnly defined by the Church when she
condemned the following proposition: “Adam, the
first man, was created mortal so that, whether he
sinned or not, he would have died a bodily death, that
is, he would have departed from the body, not as a
punishment for sin, but by the necessity of his nature.”
III. Death: Consequence of Sin
Jesus showed to us that by surrendering
to God with humility and self-
renunciation, our enemy becomes our
servant; bodily death becomes blessed
spiritual death; our fear of death will turn
into hope and confidence in the merciful
God.
 Check Your Understanding
If you will be given another life,
what do you want to change of
your former life?
Why?
 Reflection
How do you see the world and
its people if preternatural gifts
were not taken away from us?
 Application
Write a short eulogy for your future self.
Consider how you want people to remember
you when you’re gone already.
 CRITERIA

COMPLEXI CONTENT EMOTIONAL

TY DEPTH INTEREST
References
1. Belmonte, Charles. (2006). Faith Seeking Understanding.
Mandaluyong: Studium Theologiae Foundation, Inc.

2. Catholic Church. (1994). Catechism of the Catholic Church.

Vatican City: Libreria Editrice Vaticana.

3. Pope: Death is not to be feared if we’re faithful to God

(archivioradiovaticana.va)

4. Pope: “We need not fear death if we are faithful to God” - La

Stampa

5. Catholic Death - 02 - Do You Fear Death? - YouTube

Is it Death that I Fear?
Module in LIFE AND BEYOND