One of the greatest of all fears is the fear of death. Death is a great mystery; mankind is unsure of what lies beyond the grave. Once I overheard someone say: “If only one person would come back and tell us about dying then we could all understand more about life after death.”
Someone did come back. Jesus did…He arose from the dead and appeared to His disciples. Later when He ascended into heaven, He promised that by following Him we too could have victory over death.
Christians are supposed to believe in the Resurrection of the dead. We pray it so often in the Apostles Creed, yet many people still have difficulty trusting that one day, our time on earth will end, and eternal life will begin.
Accepting death when it occurs, especially in our family, requires a letting go and offering control of our lives to the will of God. We know that He permits life through the birth of a child and later, through baptism, that child becomes a child of God. We conquer grief when we believe that He has permitted death to come in order that we can have a greater life with Him in eternity.
We are never ready when death comes suddenly. I recently endured the death of my 43 year old son who died of a sudden heart attack in July. He left me the gift of two beautiful grandchildren to love and a legacy of love for our community. The outpouring of support from the hundreds who knew him and took the time to offer their condolences, has helped to heal the hole in our hearts.
When death is sudden, we might hear: “Why did it have to be my son? Why did God let him die?” My son John was creative and caring, but did not take the time recently to see a doctor or to take better care of himself. There were always other priorities. He had survived a bout with cancer, and treasured the moments of each day, always smiling and positive. He adored his children and constantly engaged in wonderful activities with them. They have unforgettable memories and their hearts are full of the love he constantly showed them.
I believe in heaven and that there will be a reunion of souls one day. I have no idea what form this will take, but that is not important. I trust in God’s promise expressed by St. Paul who said that it will be glorious beyond our expectations. That’s good enough for me. Besides, I have to keep working at getting there, rather than wasting my energies worrying if I will get there. We are not guaranteed an automatic entry; I believe that God reads our hearts and knows whether we have sincerely given our best effort.
It is good that we awaken each day not knowing just how the day will unfold. It makes us put our hand into God’s hand and allow Him to walk through the hours with us. How blessed we are to have the gift of faith.