All Souls Saturday. Our Holy Father Metrophanes, Patriarch of Constantinople (312-37)
Acts 28:1-31; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17; John 21:15-25; John 5:24-30
Read Acts 28:1-31
Glory to Jesus Christ! Glory forever!
I’m sure you’ve all heard the expression: “Nothing is certain in life except death and taxes.” Yet, every human death is a tragedy. We know, deep down inside us, that “it shouldn’t be that way.” This is a curious way to think, considering that of all things we should have made peace with or “gotten used to” throughout the centuries it would be death. Underneath all the experiences of death we have had is the simple truth that we were made for immortality. God made us for Himself and forever. What Christ has done is to re-establish the possibility of being with Him forever and this possibility is what causes us not to despair over our lost loved ones, as well as to pray for their souls.
St. Gregory the Great comments:
Still, lest some tribulation should still maintain itself in your soul, I exhort you to rest from sorrow, to cease to be sad. For it is unseemly to addict oneself to weary affliction for those of whom it is to be believed that they have attained to true life by dying. Those have, perhaps, just reason for long continued grief who are unaware of another life and have no trust that there is a passing from this world to a better one. We, however, who know this, who believe it and teach it, should not be too much distressed for those that depart, lest what in others demonstrates affection be to us instead a matter of blame. For it is, as it were, a kind of distrust to be tormented by sadness in opposition to what everyone preaches. It is as the apostle says, “But we would not have you ignorant, brothers, concerning those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. (Letters 107)