Dear Friends,
This Sunday, we celebrate the feast of All Saints and Monday, on the commemoration of All Souls, we pause to pray for our loved ones who have died. There may be a bit of God’s grace working in the timing of these two feasts arriving a few days before the elections in the United States. Both of them remind us to focus on the things that really matter. For both of the feasts remind us to prepare for our own death and to deepen our belief in the resurrection of the dead.
When we stop believing in eternal life we put too much pressure on this earthly life to give us everything we want and need. When we stop seeing life as having a destiny in heaven, we naturally become frustrated with the limits of our lives here on earth. We may even begin to expect our loved ones to give us something they can’t give. We may look to them for fulfillment, a meaningful life, and joy without frustration. When we stop believing in a life beyond this life, we too easily demand a taste of heaven right now. Much of the political frustrations expressed during this present season are because people expect too much from our political and social systems. They look to those systems to fix all their problems.
As St. John Chrysostom reminds us, “If you are a Christian, no earthly city is yours. Of our City ‘the Builder and Maker is God.’ Though we may gain possession of the whole world, we are withal but strangers and sojourners in it all. We are enrolled in heaven: our citizenship is there! Let us not, after the manner of little children, despise things that are great, and admire those which are little! Not our city’s greatness, but virtue of soul is our ornament and defense.”
The feasts this weekend remind us to regularly focus on our eternal destiny. The Church, in her daily prayer at night, invites us to focus on our death every day. For the Church sees the daily need for sleep as a little practice for dying. Consider these prayers from night prayer:
Into your hands, O Lord, I commend my spirit. This is a reference to Jesus’ dying words, Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.
Lord, now you let your servant go in peace, your word has been fulfilled. My own eyes have seen the salvation which you have prepared in the sight of every people: a light to reveal you to the nations and the glory of your people Israel. These are the words of Simeon, who had been promised he would not see death until he had beheld the Messiah. Once he had held the infant Jesus in his arms, he could die peacefully.
May the Lord grant us a restful night and a peaceful death. This is the concluding line of night prayer.
A prayer recommendation for All Souls Day is to pray about people who impacted your life. Think of the men and women who made you the person you are. Then let your heart give way to gratitude. Here are some examples to get you started:
- Your mom, teaching you to bake.
- The coach, who taught you to love the sport and to excel at it.
- The teacher, who introduced you to the love of reading.
- The older neighbor, who modeled how to deal with challenges.
- Your dad, who taught you to catch a ball.
- The aunt, who listened to you and made you an empathetic person.
- The kid, two years ahead of you in high school, who did not belittle you, who made you believe the coming adult world would not be so bad.
Ponder these people (and others) and try to imagine how different your life would be if you had never encountered them. How can you not be moved to gratitude for who they are and what they have brought into your life?
Peace,
Fr. Damian