WE don’t like to talk about death, especially one’s death. We try to ignore it because it brings us to the hard reality of the end of life. But we can’t totally ignore it because it’s the absolute and sure stage that will occur to each of us later after birth.
Perhaps, this is why we’ve popularized Halloween: it makes fun of death. Dressing as a skeleton, a ghost or a zombie expresses the deep fear of death inside of us; hence, we make a mockery of it.
I’d say that it’s good and healthy to think about death because it gives us proper perspectives in life. It makes us think of how silly it is to be concerned about petty matters such as the quarrels and the conflicts we make with one another. It makes us appreciate the essential values of life such as love, family, friendship, faith, and service to others. It makes us rethink how we can make our lives more meaningful, fruitful, and easier.
Death makes us contemplate on the afterlife. It causes us to wonder what it’s like to be on the “other side of life”. Are we going to see our deceased parents, siblings and friends there? Will we have a great reunion with them? Is it really going to be a place or a state of complete peace where no one worries or suffers? Are we going to see God, the angels, and the saints? Is it really going to be like how the Scriptures describe it? No tears, no pain, no sickness?
November is not only the month of remembering the dead but also the time to be conscious of the end of one’s own life. It’s the time to have a deeper appreciation of one’s life and the many blessings that our Creator gives us, such as our loved ones and our contributions to make this world a better place.
Therefore, it is fitting that we celebrate Thanksgiving Day in November to continue appreciating the gift of life and all the graces it brings.
We, Christians, look at death in the light of our faith in Jesus Christ and his resurrection. We look at it in the light of the promise of the Scriptures: “Our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we also await a savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.” (Phil. 3:20); “For we know that if our earthly dwelling, a tent, should be destroyed, we have a building from God, a dwelling not made with hands, eternal in heaven.” (2 Cor. 5:1); ”This is the will of my Father, says the Lord, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in him any have eternal life.” (Jn. 6:40)
On this Month of the Remembrance of the Dead, may we become more conscious of the brevity of life to make it more fulfilling and meaningful for ourselves and for one another! May we believe in the Eternal Life that Jesus Christ has promised to each of us who lives by his words! Amen.
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From a Filipino immigrant family, Reverend Rodel G. Balagtas was ordained to the priesthood from St. John’s Seminary in 1991. He served as Associate Pastor at St. Augustine, Culver City (1991-1993); St. Martha, Valinda (1993-1999); and St. Joseph the Worker, Canoga Park (1999-2001). In 2001, he served as Administrator Pro Tem of St. John Neumann in Santa Maria, CA, until his appointment as pastor of Immaculate Heart of Mary, Los Angeles, in 2002, which lasted 12 years. His term as Associate Director of Pastoral Field Education at St. John’s Seminary began in July 2014.
