Homily for All Souls – November 2, 2014
Reading 1 WIS 3:1-9; Responsorial Psalm PS 23:1-3A, 3B-4, 5,
6; Reading 2 ROM 6:3-9; Gospel JN 6:37-40
Introduction
In this world nothing is certain except death and taxes, so said Benjamin
Franklin. What then are we to do about
these horrid things, death and taxes?
When it comes to taxes, Jesus has very
little to say. As we heard in the gospel
a few weeks ago, all he said is: “Pay to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to
God what belongs to God.” Luckily for
us, when it comes to death, Jesus has so much to teach us, so that we are
equipped to deal with death, unavoidable death.
Scripture and Theology
On this “All Souls” Day, when as Catholics we
focus our attention on those who have died, I would us to reflect on what Jesus
teaches us about death. I would like to
reflect on three specific words: weeping, hoping and sharing.
And so, first, the Christian way is to take
death seriously and accept it.
·
While the world tends to use
euphemisms to describe death, words like “passing away,” “kicking the bucket”
or “breathing one’s last,” the Bible simply speaks of death and dying.
·
While the world tends to
sanitize death and cover up all its messiness, pain and suffering, the Church tackles
death headlong.
·
While the world tends to try to
avoid death at all costs or to take it on, but on one’s own terms, Christians
respect death as the entrance into life with God, leaving its timing to him.
One of the passages in the Bible that first
comes to mind when I think about death is the verse where it says: “Jesus wept”
(Jn. 11:35). Jesus wept for his friend
Lazarus, not so much because Lazarus had died, but because Jesus saw the pain
of his sisters Martha and Mary and all those who loved him. I know that our society says “real men do not
weep,” but if Jesus wept, that is good enough for me. I must confess that I often weep at the death
of someone. Like Jesus I weep at the
great suffering that I see in the bereaved that have lost a loved one. A dear friend of mine recently lost her
grandmother and as I was talking to her she said: “I know my grandma was in
pain, but I still wanted her around.”
But the Christian does not weep in despair;
the Christian weeps with hope. And that
is the second point of our reflection – hope after death. The Christian hopes that although death is
painful both for the deceased and the bereaved, with death, life is changed,
not ended. We hope that the promise of Jesus will be fulfilled: “that everyone who sees the Son and believes
in him may have eternal life” and when he says: “and I shall raise him on the last day.”
For Christians, the words death and
resurrection go together all the time, not only for Jesus, but for us his
followers as well. We heard St. Paul
tell the Romans that just as we have been baptised in the death of the Lord, so
shall we also rise in his resurrection.
“If, then, we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live
with him” (Rm. 6: 8). We believe the
words of the book of Wisdom, that: “The
souls of the just are in the hand of God, and no torment shall touch them.”
Yes, Christians weep at death; Christians
hope after death. The third thing that
Christians do is weep and hope together, in mutual support and prayer. When the dying person is still on this side
of death, the Christian practice is to support the dying person not only with
the physical care of medicine and food, but also the psychological care of
family and friends and most important of all, the spiritual care of grace and
blessings. Just think of the many
Church-run medical facilities and medical missionaries in the world, including
the areas currently suffering with ebola.
Just think of the many priests and lay ministers who attend to the
spiritual needs of the sick.
When the person crosses over to the other
side, we continue to support them with prayer.
We pray for the dead in funeral Masses, Masses for the dead, Mass
intentions and all other types of prayers.
Besides, we set aside this day, All Souls day, to pray for all the
faithful departed, that they might be received by the Lord in his mercy. It is not a coincidence that All Saints day
and All Souls day follow each other in the calendar. They are twinned, as it were, so that the
whole body of Christ, the communion of saints which we profess in the creed,
can show its love and care for all members of the Church. We the pilgrim Church, who are still on
pilgrimage on this side of death, join with the triumphant Church, who have
made it to heaven, to pray for those who are halfway there in purgatory – the
suffering Church.
Christian Life
Unfortunately, this Christian way of
weeping, hoping and communion in death is not always accepted. The contrast between the non-Christian and
Christian approach to death has been played out in the last few weeks in the
media. You may have heard about a young
lady, Brittany, who has terminal cancer and planned to end her life today, as
her way of dealing with this terrible and tragic illness. Her approach to death has been glorified and
glamourized in the media.
But you may have not heard in the media of
another person who also has terminal cancer, and perhaps as much pain and
suffering, but one who chose another path, the Christian way. This is Philip Johnson, a Catholic seminarian
from the Diocese of Raleigh, North Carolina, whose response summarizes the
Catholic approach to death. I will just
read a few of his letter, words which are so powerful because they come from
someone staring death in the face.
First, he acknowledges his own suffering
and fear of death. He says:
After years of terrible headaches and
misdiagnosis, my Grade III brain cancer (Anaplastic Astrocytoma) proved to be
inoperable due to its location. . . . I
was beginning an exciting career as a naval officer with my entire life ahead
of me. I had so many hopes and dreams,
and in an instant they all seemed to be crushed.
But even more frightening for him is what
his last days will look like.
I will gradually lose control of my bodily
functions at a young age, from paralysis to incontinence, and it is very likely
that my mental faculties will also disappear and lead to confusion and
hallucinations before my death.
But thanks to his faith, Philip has
hope. This is what he says:
This [prospect of suffering and death] terrifies
me, but it does not make me any less of a person. My life means something to me, to God, and to
my family and friends, and barring a miraculous recovery, it will continue to
mean something long after I am paralyzed in a hospice bed. My family and friends love me for who I am,
not just for the personality traits that will slowly slip away if this tumor
progresses and takes my life.
Philip concludes his letter by
acknowledging the support he continues to receive from his family, friends and
the Church and the support he gives to Brittany.
I will continue to pray for Brittany as she
deals with her illness, as I know exactly what she is going through. I still
get sad. I still cry. I still beg God to show me His will through all of this
suffering and to allow me to be His priest if it be His will, but I know that I
am not alone in my suffering. I have my
family, my friends, and the support of the entire universal Church. I have walked in Brittany’s shoes, but I have
never had to walk alone. Such is the beauty of the Church, our families, and
the prayerful support that we give to one another.
Conclusion
Yes, death and taxes are inevitable. But Jesus has shown us a way of approaching death,
that of others and our own. As we deal
with the death of beloved ones, and as we prepare for our own death, let us acknowledge
the sorrow of death with hope, giving and receiving the support of one another,
in the communion of saints.
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