Isaiah 25:6-9 / Romans 5:5-11 / John 6:37-40
All of us, without exception, have experienced the death of a loved one, a relative or a friend.
We have gone for the funeral wake, said prayers for them and maybe even was present when their remains were interred into the niche at the columbarium.
We have offered Masses for them in the hope that they will be in heaven and have eternal rest in the love of God.
Yesterday we celebrated All Saints, and we ask the Saints for their intercession as we continue to walk in faith and strive for holiness.
Today, we remember and pray for the souls in Purgatory that they will eventually be purified and rest eternally in God's peace.
One question in our minds is that how do we know if our loved ones, our relatives, our friends who have passed on, are in heaven.
Today as we remember and pray for the departed, we may also want to ask God for a sign to let us know that the departed are in heaven.
But let us also know that we have an assurance from Jesus as He tells us this from the gospel: All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to Me, I shall not turn him away ... whoever sees the Son and believes in Him shall have eternal life.
We believe that those who have died in Christ will live in Christ. So whether God will give us that sign about the state of our departed loved ones is not as important as having that assurance that they are all in the heart of Jesus and they would not be lost.
We believe in that assurance of Jesus and that's why we remember and pray for the departed as we continue to walk on in faith until we meet Jesus face to face.