We have come to this Mass to remember and to pray for our departed loved ones, and also those who have died, especially those who have been forgotten.
We pray that our God, who is merciful and compassionate, will admit them into His presence, and grant them eternal peace and rest.
We pray for the souls of the departed, that God in His love, will grant them eternal life.
And that is what the Eucharist is about, a celebration of life and love.
The 1st reading gives a beautiful image of the mountain of the Lord, where He has prepared a banquet of rich food for all peoples.
On that mountain, there will be no mourning, and God will wipe away the tears from every cheek.
We pray that the departed will be on their way to that mountain, and there is also where we want to go eventually.
That is the mountain of our hope, where there is an everlasting celebration of life and love.
Our hope is not deceptive, because the love of God has been poured into our hearts by the Resurrection of Jesus from the dead.
Jesus is our Good Shepherd who leads the departed from the valley of death to the mountain of life.
Jesus also leads us, the living, to have life and life to the full.
Jesus is the Saviour of the living and the dead. In Him is our hope for salvation.
Let us pray with faith and journey on with the hope of eternal life, where every tear will be wiped away, and the rejoicing is forever.