All Souls’ Day, Thursday – 02nd November 2023 — Gospel: Jn 6,37-40
Hope-filled Promises
Today, November 2, occupies a unique place in the Catholic calendar because we remember all those who have died in Christ – it is a day of the commemoration of all the faithful departed. Remembering the deceased faithful provides us opportunity to reflect on our mortality, and more importantly, to realize that death is only a transition from this life to a fullness of life. The passing over from life to death frightens us. In death, all that is familiar is stripped from us – except our belief in Christ. For Christ has promised us, “I will not reject anyone who comes to me.” The fear of death is the fear of an ultimate rejection – that we’ll all be rejected by life itself. Since Christ, our Redeemer, has conquered death, we are relatively comfortable. He welcomes us into new life, and death has no more power of ultimate rejection. At the same time, we should realize that nothing will ever separate us from the love of Christ, and death is only a transition from on earth to the fullness of life with the Lord Jesus. Christ, the Messiah, has also promised us, “I shall raise him up on the last day.” This instills hope in the Christian that we shall be raised and exalted on high on the last day, the great day of redemption.
