There are few things more tragic than the loss of a young life, especially when the cause of death is something we cannot really understand. When the cause of death leaves us with so many unanswered questions. For some of us, the shock of unexpectedly losing a loved one may be such that we cannot even form the questions to ask. And, that's okay.
Sometimes, walking by faith, rather than by sight, means we don't have the answers and we may not even know the questions. We simply trust! We trust as Job did. When Job lost his family and livelihood, he trusted that God had not abandoned him in the midst of tragedy. Job trusted that God was still somehow at work and would bring good out of the horrible situation he was in.
And, that is the truth of the Paschal Mystery. Through the passion, death, and resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ; the kingdom of sin and death, the kingdom of hurt and pain, is conquered by love, joy, and eternal life.
Our beloved departed encounters the Paschal Mystery in a very profound way as we offer the funeral Mass to unite their death to the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on Calvary and we commend their spirit into the loving hands of God, the Father.
We too, are part of the Paschal Mystery. The Paschal Mystery was not a one-time event that occurred in Jerusalem 2,000 years ago. It is an eternal event that is omnipresent to all humanity throughout the ages. The Paschal Mystery is most substantially present to us through the Mass, but it can be an integral part of our daily walk of faith. I'd wager that Job knew the Paschal Mystery very well and that he found comfort in it. The same can be true for us.
Currently, we are going through a passion of sadness, anger, unforgiveness, and a whole slew of emotions. As part of the healing and grieving process, we must let go of a part of ourselves (let it die, if you will). If we can do this, ultimately, we will experience a resurrection. We will be able to look back and see the good God could manifest in the midst of even the most horrible and tragic events.
During a period of grieving, it can be helpful to contemplate on how the Paschal Mystery, through the Mass, is a participation in the great worship of heaven. We can have great hope that our beloved departed are participating in the same great worship. We can have great hope that we are sacramentally present to our beloved departed through, with, and in the Eucharist; and she present to us. This can be of great comfort to those of us that feel like we didn't have the opportunity to say goodbye, since from a certain perspective, there isn't a goodbye to say. A spiritual hug through the Eucharist may not feel the same as a physical hug, but it can be every bit as profound.
For those of us experiencing anger and unforgiveness, I pray for the grace of forgiveness. It may be forgiveness for the driver that caused this accident. It may be forgiveness for ourselves due to some matter that was left unresolved with our beloved departed. It may even be forgiveness towards God for allowing the death of our beloved departed in the first place. Whatever it is, let the process of healing and forgiveness begin with this Mass. As we enter into the Paschal Mystery of the Liturgy, open yourself to the kindness and mercy of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Let go of the negative emotions you carry and nail them to the Cross on Calvary. Then, open yourself. Open yourself to the fullness of love, fullness of comfort, fullness of peace, and fullness of forgiveness offered through the person of Jesus Christ - truly present in the Eucharist - Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity.
The shortest verse in the Bible is "Jesus wept". These two simple words inform the level of empathy Jesus has for those of us in mourning. We can be confident in how deeply Jesus relates to us when someone close to us passes away. Allow yourself to be comforted by the fact that Jesus is present, substantially present in the Eucharist, to mourn with us and to walk with us in our hurts and our pains. Be comforted in the fact that this faith community also mourns with us, walks with us, and is here to love and support us as the mystical body of Christ.
The lives of the saints repeatedly and consistently attest to the truth of the Paschal Mystery and the truth of the Catholic faith. The end of our mortal life on earth (which is in the womb of the Catholic Church), is not the end; but rather, is our birth into eternity. To paraphrase Saint Paul, death cannot separate us. Therefore, this is not goodbye!
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