God's Elect

Today we celebrate the Feast of All Souls, all of those who have gone before us passing through the door of death into eternal life. In the first reading of today's liturgy, Wisdom 3: 1-9,  we are told that the "souls of the just are in the hand of God, and no torment shall touch them."  Some may look upon the death of their loved ones merely from the viewpoint of being "an affliction and their going forth from us, utter destruction. But, the author of the book of Wisdom, tells us that "they are in peace."  You and I might  believe that they were punished here on earth, "yet...their hope [was] full of immortality; chastised a little, they shall be greatly blessed, because God tried them and found them worthy of himself. As gold tried in the furnace [of life here on earth], he proved them, as sacrificial offering he took them to himself."  Passing through the door of death, our loved ones now "abide with [God] in love: because grace and mercy are with his holy ones, and his care is with his elect." And we, and they, are God's elect through Jesus Christ, our God and Savior.

The Eternal Kingdom

The Entrance Antiphon of today’s liturgy is the same as yesterday’s:  “Upon a lofty throne, I saw a man seated, whom a host of angels adore, singing in unison: Behold him, the name of whose empire [kingdom] is eternal.”   Reflecting upon this antiphon led me to pray as follows:   “O God, You became one of us to ransom us from Satan and adopt us as your children, as heirs to Your Kingdom. What love, Lord. And You ransomed us by Your death!  You would do anything, including leaving heaven to become one of us, and then accepting death to secure our future.  And when You died, You rose from death—death had no power over You and will have no power over us either—and returned to Your Kingdom to prepare a place for us.  Furthermore, You sent the Holy Spirit to help us fight against evil, to resist Satan’s snares and to have the courage to choose good and reject evil, that is, to accept your gift of a place in Your eternal Kingdom.  Moreover, Lord,  You stay with us here on earth in the Eucharist and ask that we “take and eat, take and drink; this is my body given up for you and my blood poured out for you” (cf Luke 22:17).  In each Holy Communion, You come into our bodies, souls and minds to cleanse the Temple of our bodies of sin and advance our truly becoming, by choice, an heir to Your kingdom.  And all day long, You are intimately involved in our lives: directing us, guiding us, strengthening us, consoling us, loving us, calling us, forgiving us, preparing us to accept the gift of eternal life with You.  How sad when we say “no” and go our own ways without you. Lord, have mercy!