*** 1st Reading ***

Wisdom of Solomon 3: 1-9

The souls of the just are in  the hands of God and no torment shall touch them.

In the eyes of the unwise they appear to be dead. Their going is held as a disaster;   it seems that they lose ev­ery­thing by departing from us, but they are in peace.

Though seemingly they have been punished, immortality was the soul of their hope.   After slight affliction will come great blessings, for God has tried them and found them worthy to be with him;  after testing them as gold in the furnace, he has accepted them as a holocaust.

 At the time of his coming they will shine like sparks that run in the stubble.  They will govern nations and rule over peoples, and the Lord will be their king forever.

 Those who trust in him will penetrate the truth, those who are faithful will live with him in love, for his grace and mercy are for his chosen ones.

 

Ps  231  The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing l shall want.

 

***2nd Reading ***

 

Romans 5: 5-11

 and hope does not disappoint us because the Holy Spirit has been given to us, pouring into our hearts the love of God.  Consider, moreover, the time that Christ died for us: when we were still helpless and unable to do anything.

 Few would accept to die for an upright person; although, for a very good person, perhaps someone would dare to die. But see how God manifested his love for us: while we were still sinners, Christ died for us  and we have become just through his blood.

With much more reason now he will save us from any condemnation.  Once enemies, we have been reconciled with God through the death of his Son; with much more reason now we may be saved through his life.  Not only that; we even boast in God be­cause of Christ Jesus, our Lord, through whom we have been reconciled.

 

**** Gospel ****

John 6: 37-40

 Yet, all those whom the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me, I shall not turn away.  For I have come from heaven, not to do my own will, but the will of the One who sent me.

And the will of him who sent me is that I lose nothing of what he has given me, but instead that I raise it up on the last day.  This is the will of the Father, that whoever sees the Son and be­lieves in him shall live with eternal life; and I will raise him up on the last day.”

 

Gospel Reflection:

“WHOEVER SEES THE SON AND BELIEVES IN HIM SHALL LIVE ETERNAL LIFE.”

Many people are afraid of death. In most cases this is because many of us think that death is loss. But our Christian teachings provide us with courage by telling us that death is but a passage to life, to the real life where all of us are destined to reach.

Of course I also understand that the source of fear may be the teaching that there are two possibilities of the life that awaits us after death: life in eternal bliss (heaven)or life in eternal punishment (hell).

But then, this fear can be mitigated. While we are still living today, let us make sure that we will reach heaven tomorrow. And instead of fearing death, we should always be ready for it. One beautiful line from the film “Dr. Strange” said” Death is a beautiful thing. It’s when we know that our days are numbered that we begin to live life better.

Today we pray for all of those who have gone ahead of us in death, that through God’s mercy they will receive the reward of eternal life with him. We pray for ourselves too that when our time comes, we will share in the same reward.