Today's Mass Reflection on Life, Death, and the Hope of Resurrection

“And Jesus wept” (John 11:35). This verse, the shortest in the Bible, captures the depth of Jesus’ compassion, humanity, and love. As He mourned the loss of His dear friend Lazarus, Jesus demonstrated His deep love and empathy for our human suffering. Being a practitioner in healthcare, I witness human suffering every day at work. Being a first hand witness of these visible sufferings, and perhaps the invisible, too, strengthens my faith in our Lord. And this moment of our Lord's weeping was not the end. Soon after, Jesus revealed His power over death by raising Lazarus from the tomb, embodying His promise: “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he dies, yet shall he live.” (John 11:25-26).

When Lazarus' sisters, Mary and Martha, saw Jesus, they expressed their grief and faith: “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died” (John 11:21). Yet, Jesus reassured them, strengthening their faith even as they faced the finality of death. This encounter reminds us that death, as sorrowful as it is, is part of God’s plan, a gateway rather than an end.

The great St. Augustine reflected deeply on this and once noted that Christ’s actions point to the eternal life promised to all who believe. In his words, “Christ did not come to do away with suffering, but rather to fill it with His presence.” In the story of Lazarus, we see that life’s trials, including death, are imbued with a divine purpose, and faith in Christ transforms sorrow into hope.

Just as Jesus brought Lazarus back, we all experience “Lazaruses” in our lives. With faith, we know our loved ones are alive with Christ. Indeed, the people we loved, cherished, and ultimately had to let go are now with Him. These moments also remind us that, while we may grieve, our hope is not in holding on to this world but in the eternal life Christ promises. St. Thomas Aquinas, a doctor of the Church, teaches us that “for the faithful, death is but a passage, the beginning of life eternal”.

As we commemorate All Souls’ Day, let us trust in God’s divine plan. May we face our mortality with the hope of resurrection, believing that, in the end, we shall be united with Him and our loved ones in eternal joy. “For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his” (Romans 6:5).

Happy All Souls’ Day. 

May God bless and grant peace to all the faithfully departed souls in your family. 

God bless 🙌 

I remain your pal,  

Ronnie