This week’s Gospel isn’t the only one in the Gospels that has a resurrection story. Besides the very obvious resurrection of Christ at Easter, there’s also the resurrection of Lazarus and the daughter of Jairus. 
 
For each of these people – a young man, an older man, and a young girl – their story starts, but does not end, with physical death. Their families wept. The very fabric of their lives was torn, leaving them to mourn for what was lost.
 
And yet – that wasn’t the end of the story. The death that had seized the body of their loved ones was undone. Their bodies welcomed back their souls to continue their earthly journey.
 
Each of these stories revolve around one critical truth – physical death is not the end. It is an event along the timeline of our lives, but not the final event. For those of us left behind, there can indeed be a sense of finality in physical death. I won’t ever hug my mother again in this life. My youngest two children won’t get to know her. My older children won’t get to build on the paucity of memories they have.
 
And yet, when we go to Church, we take time to light a candle and pray for the repose of the soul. We pray for her wherever she is on her journey to Heaven and ask for her to pray for us. 
 
While I can’t call her up (even though my brain sometimes tricks me into thinking I can!) or share the present joy of this life with her, I know her soul did not die when her body did. I know in faith that her soul lives on, waiting for me somewhere along the road to Heaven. 
 
We declare every weekend in the Creed that we believe in the resurrection of the dead. For those of us who have lost dear loved ones, this line is a great invitation and also a consolation. We ourselves hope for our own resurrection some day, but can also cling to Christ’s promise that all who believe in Him will be raised up on the last day.
 
And on that day, our bodies – no longer subject to death – and our souls will be reunited, just like today’s Gospel. On that day, I’ll introduce my mother to all the sweet children who have prayed for her and make up for all those lost hugs, laughter, and joy in Christ. 
 
Yes indeed, the dead shall be raised! Just like the families of those resurrected in the Gospels experienced relief for their mourning and joy beyond expectation, so on our first day in Heaven will we join all the souls of the faithful departed in the endless song of praise.




Stéphanie Potter

This Sunday, we commemorate the souls of the faithful departed. We are called to pray for the dead, because in hope we believe that the dead can be received into heaven. 
 
As I meditated upon the responsorial psalm in particular, but also all the readings for this Sunday, I questioned the use of this psalm. The other readings are pretty obvious with regard to their connection to today. The psalm seemed, to me, less obvious. So, I had to sit with it longer than I usually do. 
 
What I see in the psalm is the call to recognize in my own present life; the call to seek the Lord! I pray for the dead in hope and I live my own life in that same hope of eternal life! The antiphon for the psalm clearly calls me to walk with the Lord in this life “the land of the living”. This walk is not only for my life on earth; it isn’t about making my present life easier or more fulfilling. Walking with the Lord now is a preparation for what is to come: eternal life! 
 
The psalmist is pretty explicit about the fact that this life is not easy. There are afflictions and the people in my life may not always be looking out for what is best for me. Actually, the use of the phrase “everyone is a liar” calls me to recognize that I am part of that “everyone”. How easy it is to see the faults of others, but I need the Lord to save me from myself as much as from others. I do not always seek what is best for me; I can easily convince myself that this world is the most important; this life needs to be successful and fulfilling. In reality, this life is meant to lead me to heaven. If I lose track of this, I get caught up on what is passing. This psalm could really add the sentence “focus, people!”, because if I am not focused on the Lord, on seeking heaven, on listening to His voice and loving Him in my neighbour, I will get lost in the here and now. 

This Sunday, let us pray for the souls of those who have gone before us. Let us seek their intercession so we may walk in the way of the Lord and gain heaven. 




​Sr. Teresa MacDonald