All Souls Day

At some point of our lives, we would have lost someone to death. We would have experienced the pain of losing a loved one, a grandparent, a parent, a sibling or even a close relation. Some of us may feel as if we would never see the person again, and some may feel quite sad, down or even helpless. Some may have wondered whether they had done something or said something hurtful, which could have somehow affected the other person and increased the possibility of death. But the fact is, we all will die one day, as our being here on earth is only temporary.

Some of us may become quite worried and wondered what is going to happen to us and to our loved ones when we die. Some of us become filled with anxiety, wondering if we would face eternal life or eternal damnation. But as St. Paul reminds us in the second reading: "Having died to make us a righteous, is it likely that He (Jesus) would now fail to save us from God’s anger?" If we have faith and trust in Jesus, if we have done our best to follow God's commandments, then there should be no need for us to worry or fear, since Jesus would be our help and guide. We must remember that our loved ones are now in the hands of God and in His infinite mercy. We believe that God can care for them far better than we can ever achieve.

Isaiah in the first reading further reassures us: "On this mountain, the Lord of hosts will prepare for all peoples a banquet of rich food, a banquet of fine wines, of food rich and juicy, of fine strained wines. On this mountain he will remove the mourning veil covering all peoples, and the shroud en-wrapping all nations, he will destroy Death for ever." May we be consistent and humble in our efforts to grow in relationship with God, knowing that death is not the end, but a hopeful new beginning with the Lord.