“Is death the last sleep? No. It is the last and final awakening.” ~ Sir Walter Scott
Today can be a sad day if viewed improperly. Today, after all, is the Feast of All Souls. When we remember those who have gone before us, we are oftentimes filled with sorrow.
To be filled with sorrow is natural and is a part of our human grief. But at the same time, we also view the passing away of loved ones not through the eyes of the world but through the eyes of faith. Therein lies an incredible difference.
If we viewed our loved ones’ passing through the eyes of the world, we would be filled with inconsolable grief because we would see our loved ones as dead and lost to us forever. We would feel as if there were no hope. We would view their loss as tragic. That is, after all, the way of the world. Our reward in the world is temporal and when we end, all that is about us vanishes.
Ah, but we are not people of the world. We are people who live in the world but we do not belong to the world. We belong to God. Therefore, we are spirited people. We have souls created in God’s immortal image and likeness.
When we pass away, we merely say goodbye to the world that is and hello to the world that awaits us all: the Kingdom of God. In that world, we have something and someone awaiting us.
To know that we are heaven-bound and to realize that we have a reunion with all of our loved ones awaiting us is simply amazing.
This day is a day to remember our beloved dead. We remember them not filled with woe but filled with joyful anticipation of greeting them and being greeted by them one day.
God gave us a promise and fulfilled that promise in His Son, Jesus Christ. The opportunity to step out of our mortal shells and go home to the eternal was won for us in Christ’s resurrection from the dead. Because of that, we do not fear death, either of a loved one or our own. We know that death is merely the entry to eternal life. If we hold on to that promise, death can become a welcome event.
I remember a couple of months before my mother passed away from Lou Gehrig’s Disease (ALS). Her body was failing her and she was having trouble breathing. She told me that she couldn’t wait to die because she knew God had something special in store for her.
Let today speak to you. Remember the faithful departed lovingly and reverently. Know that God wants to reunite us all in His Kingdom. Ask God to fill you with the hope of resurrection so that you may live your life accordingly and be ready for your own last and final awakening.
FAITH ACTION: Pray for the repose of the souls of all the faithful departed, particularly those who no longer have anyone left to pray for them.