The Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed
Today is the commemoration of All Souls. Within the last year most of you have probably laid to rest someone you love very dearly – a parent, a spouse, a sibling, a child, a relative, a friend, or perhaps even a pet. For that matter, all of us have at some time laid to rest someone we love. And it hurts. Nothing hurts more than death. It is the sheer absence of the deceased and the sheer helplessness we experience in the face of death that is painful. Many of us would give anything to spend another moment with our beloved departed. But all the money in the world cannot buy that another moment. And that hurts.
When death wounds us, we seek comfort, consolation and peace. My hope in this homily is to connect us with the comfort, consolation, and peace we seek. For this, I would like to draw your attention to this Paschal candle. At every funeral, either the coffin or the urn with the remains is placed under the light of this Paschal candle. As you know, the Easter vigil begins with the blessing of new fire. The Paschal candle is lit from this new fire. It symbolizes that Christ has overcome death and darkness. During the rest of the year, then, the light of this Paschal candle is centerstage at every baptism and every funeral. And in this lies our comfort, consolation and peace.
In three points, I would like to reflect more deeply upon this.
Dying at Birth
When a child is born, there is great joy because life has come into the family. Soon this child will be baptized. Even though the child is baptized to receive the new life of God, it is also the child’s first introduction to death. Every baptism is a dying to sin and rising to new life in Christ Jesus. As Paul says in today’s second reading, “Are you unaware that we who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?” (Rom 6:3). This is why that after the baptism, the minister lights the child’s baptismal candle from the Paschal candle and says, “Receive the light of Christ!” It means symbolizes that death has been vanquished and at the end of this child’s time on earth, he or she will move from life to life because in baptism we have been “baptized into his death”.
Rising at Death
Because the child had died with Christ in baptism, death is already conquered. When death finally comes at the end of our life, it is no more death. We bring the coffin or the remains and place it under and Paschal candle because we celebrate the new life of Christ that was given to us at baptism. As Paul says in today’s second reading, “If, then, we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him” (Rom 6:8). In other words, when we encounter grief and we hurt at the death of our loved ones, our comfort, consolation, and peace life lies in the reality that the light of this candle never fades even in our darkest moment – death. That light is not just a flame. It is a symbol of something deeper – the death and resurrection of Jesus.
"Do Not Let Your Hearts be Troubled"
Our comfort, consolation and peace do not come from the flame but what it stands for - the death and resurrection of Jesus. This is our faith. Jesus says in today’s gospel reading, “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You have faith in God; have faith also in me” (Jn 14:1). And then Jesus adds the most comforting and consoling words we can find in scripture. He says, “In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places. If there were not, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back again and take you to myself, so that where I am you also may be” (Jn 14:2-23).
It is the death and resurrection of Jesus and our dying and rising with him at baptism that prepares us to be where Jesus is. The loved ones whom we miss today and remember today are with Jesus. For this Jesus died and rose from the dead. But more importantly, at baptism God gives us a share in the death and resurrection of Jesus. The Paschal candle assures us that our faith in Jesus Christ is our comfort, consolation, and peace.
It is not only at death that we live the new life of Christ. Because new life is given to us at baptism, we live the new life as long as we live on earth all the way into our death. The Eucharist sustains that life. The Eucharist is more than a symbolic candle. It is a Paschal mystery – a reliving of the death and resurrection of Jesus. Those who eat this Body and drink this Blood have eternal life. In this is our comfort, consolation, and peace.
- Fr. Satish Joseph