Nov. 2, 2013 Saturday: All Souls Day

Those of you who are hard of hearing can appreciate this little story. A man came to a conclusion that his wife was hard of hearing. So he called his doctor for an advice. The doctor advised him to try an informal test on his wife, to speak to her 40 feet away, 20 feet away, 10 feet away, and right next to her to see how she responds. So in the house, in the living room, while she was in the kitchen, he asked, “Honey, what’s for dinner?” No response. He walked into the dining room and asked, “Honey, what’s for dinner?” No response. He walked in the kitchen near the refrigerator and asked, “Honey, what’s for dinner?” No response. He then walked right behind her in the kitchen and asked, “Honey, what’s for dinner?” She said, "For the fourth time, I told you, CHICKEN!”

This story reminds me of an experience of a parishioner who recently brought communion to a dying man. He was in the advanced stage of active dying and had been in an out of consciousness. The family gathered together around him for a communion service and they all received communion except the dying man. Then the parishioner said to the dying man, thinking that he could not respond, “We ask Blessed Mother to wrap you in her mantle. For many years you have clung to the Rosary and prayed it faithfully.” Just then, unexpectedly, everyone heard, “Uh huh,” from the dying man. The family members looked at each other in disbelief. The parishioner continued, “When Blessed Mother comes to take you to our Heavenly Home, cling to her hands.” Again unexpectedly every one heard, “Uh huh,” from the dying man. The family members began to well up with tears.

I wonder if we here on earth are hard of hearing of the promptings of Heaven. What do I mean by that? Is our hope in this present life only? What about the life to come after our death? God puts in the heart of every living person the desire for unending life and happiness. While death claims each of us at the appointed time, God gives us something which death cannot touch – his own divine life and sustaining power. One of the greatest testimonies of faith and hope in the midst of great suffering and pain is that of Job: "For I know that my Redeemer lives, and that at the last he will stand upon the earth; and after my skin has been thus destroyed, then in my flesh I shall see God, whom I shall see on my side, and my eyes shall behold, and not another" (Job 19:25-27).

To live, grow, and persevere in faith to the end we must nourish it with the word of God. Augustine of Hippo (354-430 AD) said: I believe, in order to understand; and I understand, the better to believe. Jesus promises that those who accept him as their Lord and Savior and submit to his word will be raised up to immortal life with him in the Day of Judgment. Do you know the inexpressible joy of belief and hope in the resurrection?