July 12: On Dying Well

Welcome to the American Catholic Daily Reader podcast. Today is July 12th, and our story is on dying well. In 53 years, Tony Snow accomplished much. He served as press secretary to two President Bushes, hosted his own television and radio shows, and was a widely published journalist. But in the end, none of those accomplishments could keep cancer at bay.

Still, for all the suffering that cancer caused, it also became an occasion of grace. Years earlier, while still in college, Snow assessed the state of the world and found it wanting. He became Catholic and threw himself into the practice of his newfound faith. But then he fell in love with an evangelical Protestant. She wanted to marry in her church. He wanted to marry in his. The bride won, and after the wedding, Snow continued. In 2005, however, after learning he had cancer, Snow resumed the practice of his faith.

He had his marriage regularized, returned to the sacraments, and began studying Catholic teachings with the same enthusiasm of his college days. Through it all, Snow learned to make sense of his suffering. Shortly before his death, he explained how he did that in an essay for Christianity Today. He wrote, God relishes surprise. We want lives of simple, predictable ease, smooth, even trails as far as the eye can see. But God likes to go off-road. He provokes us with twists and turns. He places us in predicaments that seem to defy our endurance and comprehension, and yet don't.

By His love and grace, we persevere. The challenges that make our hearts leap and stomachs churn invariably strengthen our faith and grant measures of wisdom and joy we would not experience otherwise. Snow died on July 12, 2008. By trusting in God's surprising ways, even the most challenging circumstances can bear spiritual fruit.

Snow's life challenges us to see trials as opportunities for growth, to integrate faith into all of life, and to prepare for death with reflection, grace, and hope. Reflect today on a personal difficulty and ask how God might be shaping your character or faith through it. Thank you for listening to the American Catholic Daily Reader podcast. Join us tomorrow, July 13th, for another story of faith and courage in America.