by Carmel G. Cauchi, SDC Member
During the month of November we remember our departed brothers and sisters, we offer masses for the repose of their souls, and visit the graves of our loved ones to put candles and flowers on them, and pray for them.
But why do we do that? Because we believe that not everything ends with death, but there is another life, eternal life. This is what we say at the end of the Creed: “And I await the resurrection from the dead and the life of the world to come. Amen”. And in the mass for the dead we say “For those who believe in you, Lord, life does not end but changes”.
This is not a loose belief, but based on three great guarantees that Jesus Christ himself gives us:
- The first guarantee for those who have faith is: “Truly, truly I say to you that whoever believes in me has eternal life.” (Jn 6,47)
- The second guarantee is for those who observe God’s Law: “Truly, truly I say to you that whoever keeps my word will never see death.” (Jn 8, 51)
- The third guarantee is for those who approach the Eucharist: “Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood will have eternal life and I will raise him up on the last day.” (Jn 6,54)
So Jesus will give an eternity of happiness to those who believe in him, observe his Law and receive Holy Communion often. Thus we don’t look at death with fear because we know and believe that it will lead us to meet the Lord and live with him and our loved ones forever.
Saint Charles Borromeo, Archbishop of Milan, wanted a painting of death in a different way from how it is usually depicted: a skeleton with a sickle in its hand. He asked the painter to paint it as a beautiful angel with a golden key in his hand. Because for him death is not a sickle, but a key, it is not an end but a beginning, it is not an alley but a passage, it is not a defeat but a victory. Death is the door through which we pass to a brighter and better life.
And that’s how we should consider it. This is what we say at the end of the prayer of Saint Francis: “It is in dying that we are born to eternal life.”
