“All human wisdom is summed up in two words; wait and hope.” ~ Alexandre Dumas
Yesterday — the Solemnity of All Saints — was a day of great joy as we remembered the heritage that is extended to each and every one of us. Today, on the other hand, is a day tinged with sorrow as we celebrate All Souls’ Day. While we celebrate our eternal heritage, we also grieve the loss of loved ones, family and friends who have died through the years.
Loss marks all of us. Grief can place a terrible grip upon people. We might think that we are doing fine and, all of a sudden, a song or an image or an experience will remind us of someone we have loved and lost and we find ourselves spiraling down in a bout of sorrow and misery.
While we grieve the loss of our loved ones, we need to remember that they, too, share the heritage of all the saints. They are no longer suffering. They are no longer in pain. They no longer struggle. They have been reunited with loved ones that they had lost throughout their lives. They now know eternal peace and joy. We, the ones who are left behind, need to wait and hope.
We wait and hope because we know that one day God will call us to Himself as well. On that day, there will be great rejoicing because we will be able to see all of those we have lost in our lives. The reunion of our loved ones while in the presence of God Himself is something that we can hardly contemplate. All we know is that we finally will be at peace.
On this day — the Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed — we ask God to give us consolation as we grieve the loss of loved ones. We ask God to help us trust that He has them in the palm of His hands and that they are at peace. We ask God to fill us with the hope of resurrection so that we may await in faithfulness and trust the day that He calls us to Himself.
FAITH ACTION: Pray for all the faithful departed as well as for all who grieve the loss of loved ones that the deceased may have eternal life and the grieving may be consoled.