Friday, October 2, 2026: Praised be You, my Lord, through our Sister Bodily Death, from whom no one living can escape." I think that St. Francis of Assisi, whose own death anniversary we commemorate on Oct. 3, would find a lot to like in Gawande's book and broader message. And although the medieval saint does not make an explicit appearance in this contemporary book, I believe that Francis' own understanding of death lends a helpful spiritual framework to Gawande's insightful clinical and social arguments. Perhaps surprisingly to some, the Christian tradition has not always engaged the subject of death in a manner reflecting the theological claims we actually profess: that Christ conquered death, that death does not have the last word, that we believe in the communion of saints, and that in baptism we have already died with Christ and will share in his resurrection. Unfortunately, like the modern medical-industrial complex and our wider popular culture, the Christian...