My apologies for not posting the last few days ... they were busy days but more importantly I was under the weather and the creative juices just were not flowing. And they were important days as well - All Saints Day and All Souls Day.
Our attendance at the two Masses on All Saints was up somewhat and encouraging. With work and school and schedules and excuses (valid and feeble) our celebration of Holy Days has gone downhill. I find that truly sad because the vast majority then miss these great celebrations on the Church's calendar. But be that as it may, I enjoyed our celebrations on Tuesday. And last evening, at our special All Souls Mass where we remember those from the parish who have died this past year (twenty from our parish family), we had a moving and hope filled experience of Christian Life in Faith, Hope and Love. Our choir sang beautifully, the names were chanted in a wonderful setting of prayer, and wooden crosses that had been placed upon the casket at the time of the funeral were presented to the families. May the souls of all the faithful departed rest in peace.
In these days of shortening daylight, of cooler weather, of dying trees and flowers, of Autumn waning and Winter approaching, I began reflecting upon the meaning of existence and the gift of life. Yesterday a body was found in the local community and the death does not seem to be of natural causes. A young person in the community this week took their life for whatever reason. I have a good friend who will bury her Mom tomorrow, a Mom who had lived a life of faith and love and service for nearly 100 years. Why do some live long, happy lives? Why do some count taking care of themselves as unimportant? Why do some find pressure so great that they look for a way out?
Paul says in Romans this morning that "none of us lives for oneself, and no one dies for oneself." We live and die for the Lord, for he lived and died for us. Our unity, our oneness with him is what gives meaning and purpose to life. It is that which makes life worth living. In our recognition of the Lordship of Jesus Christ we find redemption and hope, strength and meaning in life. When we and the societies in which we live come to realize that truth, when we look to Christ rather than ourselves or what others think of us, there will be no taking of life, no abuse of life, no undervaluing of life, no questioning of our worth and beauty. Then we will LIVE.
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