In our Gospel we encounter the reality of death. It wasn’t too long ago that I had a funeral service at a funeral home. In the funeral parlor was the body of a random person. Those walking by seemed scandalized by the sight of the deceased. Death is something that each of us needs to keep before our sight. Death is not something that we can sweep under the rug and attempt to avoid because no matter how hard we try it will ultimately catch up with us. One Latin expression for this is “Memento mori” “Remember death.”
If we are to remember death we must be concerned with our ultimate destination. Our ultimate destination is not the accumulation of wealth and pleasure, these serve as means to an end, but Everlasting Life, this is the Kingdom of Heaven. No matter what some say may we also remember that Hell exists and it is possible to end up there. Some state that Hell exists, but it is empty. It is true that the Church has never declared a human person to be in Hell by name, but through the apparitions at Fatima it was revealed in the words of Lucia: “As Our Lady spoke these last words, she opened her hands once more, as she had done during the two previous months. The rays of light seemed to penetrate the earth, and we saw as it were a sea of fire. Plunged in this fire were demons and souls in human form, like transparent burning embers, all blackened or burnished bronze, floating about in the conflagration, now raised into the air by the flames that issued from within themselves together with great clouds of smoke now falling back on every side like sparks in huge fires, without weight or equilibrium, a mind shrieks and groans of pain and despair, which horrified us and made us tremble with fear. (It must have been this sight which caused me to cry out, as people say they heard me). The demons could be distinguished by their terrifying and repellent likeness to frightful and unknown animals, black and transparent like burning coals. Terrified and as if to plead for succor, we looked up at Our Lady, who said to us, so kindly and so sadly: “You have seen hell where the souls of poor sinners go. To save them, God wishes to establish in the world devotion to my Immaculate Heart. If what I say to you is done, many souls will be saved and there will be peace.”
This brings me to the reality of mortal sin for mortal sin brings death to an individual. It deprives them of sanctifying grace. It is sanctifying grace which is necessary for the Kingdom of Heaven. If one is in the state of mortal sin it would be impossible to receive grace during the reception of Holy Communion for they are dead to grace. It is through a good confession that one’s soul is cleansed of this reality. As is accounted in 1st John: “There is sin that leads to death. I do not say that one should pray for that. All wrongdoing is sin, but there there is sin that does not lead to death.”
In our Gospel Christ reaches out and touches the bier. This action brings about the resurrection of this man. Thus too we must remember that Christ and His Sacred Heart loves each of us dearly. Christ desires to restore life to the sinner and to give them that grace which is necessary in order that this may be made so. Hopefully none of us reject this loving reality, but draw close to it. No matter the sinner may we remember that Christ desires to restore us to proper life. Death should truly be set before our eyes and we should entrust ourself to Christ Jesus and allow Him to make us whole in order that we may persevere towards the Kingdom of Heaven.
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