November 6 Memorial Mass
Romans 14:7-9, 10c-12
None of us lives for oneself, and no one dies for oneself.
For if we live, we live for the Lord, and if we die, we die for the Lord; so then, whether we live or die, we are the Lord's.
For this is why Christ died and came to life, that he might be Lord of both the dead and the living.
For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of God;
for it is written: "As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bend before me, and every tongue shall give praise to God."
So (then) each of us shall give an account of himself (to God).
Luke 23: 33, 39-43
When they came to the place called the Skull, they crucified him and the criminals there, one on his right, the other on his left.
Now one of the criminals hanging there reviled Jesus, saying, "Are you not the Messiah? Save yourself and us."
The other, however, rebuking him, said in reply, "Have you no fear of God, for you are subject to the same condemnation?
And indeed, we have been condemned justly, for the sentence we received corresponds to our crimes, but this man has done nothing criminal."
Then he said, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom."
He replied to him, "Amen, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise."
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He said, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom."
And Jesus replied to him, "Amen, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise."
There is an ancient story of the Buddha, which teaches some hard truth.
A woman had an only son, and he died. In her grief she carried the dead child to all her neighbors, asking them for medicine, and the people all said: "She has lost her mind. The boy is dead.
At length a man replied to her request: "Go to the Buddha."
She went to the Buddha and cried: " Master, give me the medicine that will cure my boy."
The Buddha answered: "I will but first I need a mustard-seed."
And when the girl in her joy promised to get it, the Buddha added: "The mustard-seed come from a house
where no one has lost a child, husband, parent, or friend."
The woman now went from house to house, begging and the people pitied her and said: "Here is mustard-seed; take it!"
But when she asked did a son or daughter, a father or mother, die in your family?" They answered her:
"Alas the living are few, but the dead are many. Do not remind us of our deepest grief."
There was no house but some beloved one had died in it.
She became weary and hopeless, and sat down by the roadside. And she considered the fate of human beings, that their lives flicker up and are extinguished.
And she thought to herself: "How selfish I am in my grief! Death is everyoneís experience ; yet in this valley of darkness there is a path that leads to immortality for him who has surrendered all selfishness."
Putting away the selfishness of her irrational grief, she at last had the body buried in the forest.
Returning to the Buddha, she took refuge in him and found comfort
It is so very true that all of us will experience death, and that before that we will experience the deaths of many of the people we love. It is also very true that there is a way that leads to immortality, and that it involves losing our selfishness. Jesus Christ is that Way, the Truth, and the Life that never ends.
I would like to contrast this Buddhist story of the poor woman, with a true story of Christian hope which two of you in fact have experienced in this last week.
A wonderful man died just a week ago, the grandfather of two of you, of several alums and the father of several alums.
When I arrived at the wake I was reminded of my fathers wake, lots of people, lots of children, lots of life, and in fact lots of joy and thankfulness, more so than sorrow.
I was greeted by the eldest of the Alum grandchildren. I sympathetically asked how he was. Fine, he said.
He excitedly proceeded to tell me about his grandfathers death, how the grandfather was surrounded by forty of his children and grandchildren, how such an aura of peace came over his grandfather as he died, and as his body relaxed for the final time a natural cross appeared on his forehead. Just then the clouds which had made for a very gloomy day, suddenly dissipated and the brilliant sunset was visible and its light streamed in the hospital room window. ìItís the first death Iíve witnessed, and it was so beautiful.î He said.
What a way to go, I thought.
None of us lives for oneself, and no one dies for oneself. If we die, we die for the Lord.
Jesus tells us again and again in the Gospels, Do not be afraid.
If we live and die for the Lord, we will be with Him in paradise.
At this mass we are remembering and praying for all of our friends and relatives, especially those who have died in the last year. I know that two of you will especially be praying for your grandfather, as I will be praying for my mother and father. Each of us will be praying for some special people in our individual lives, and all of us for the special people who have made Priory possible by their support.
All of these people have undergone the passage from this world to eternity. Their passage has caused us grief surely, as it did the mother in the story of the Buddha. But we know that at death life is changed, not ended.
We pray that they have arrived at the destination God has willed for them, the greatest joy, which is God himself. And we pray that if not there yet, that they will be shortly and that our prayers help them achieve this.
We know too that we will see them and be with them again.
May their souls and the souls of all the faithful departed rest in peace. Amen.
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