COMMEMORATION OF ALL THE FAITHFUL DEPARTED MAY THEY REST IN PEACE My dear sisters and brothers in Christ, the celebration of today, is one that reminds us of those who have gone before us marked with the sign of faith whom we refer to as the “Church Suffering” because they are going through a time of cleansing for sins yet unatoned. This day is particularly set aside by the church for us to pray together as a community of God’s people for all our beloved ones, parents, family members, friends and indeed all the dead that they may receive pardon for their mistakes and sins, obtain God’s mercy and therefore be granted admittance into the kingdom where God himself is king. Today’s feast reminds us that though they may be gone from our sight, they live on. It is a changed mode of existence. We pray again, that the souls of the faithful departed may rest in perfect peace. Amen FIRST READING (Isaiah 25:6-10) This passage expresses a joyful optimism on the future of the people of God. It sounds the note of the victory that is only possible by God. Isaiah began the passage by saying, “On this mountain,” The particular mountain is not named by the prophet, but this mountain has been associated by many, with Mount Zion(Is. 2:2-3), which is also called the City of the Living God. The banquet set by the Lord of Hosts on this mountain is described in glowing terms. The guests will enjoy the best of foods and the choicest of wines. But Isaiah moves on to talk of this mountain as a place of final victory in the battle against death. “And He will destroy on this mountain the covering that is cast over all peoples….He will swallow up death for ever…” In Christian Theology, we hold that the resurrection of Jesus from the dead after he had been slain on the mountain of Calvary, is the final blow to death. Death can no longer claim victory over anyone who dies believing in Jesus because, ‘dying he destroyed our death and rising he restored our life…’, ‘If we die, with the Lord, we shall live with the Lord.’ Death has now become a passage way, into the eternal life won for us through the death of Jesus on the Cross. SECOND READING (Romans 5: 5-11) My dear sisters and brothers, the thought of death brings sorrow and sadness to many. In fact it brings many distress and cause their early death. ‘The coward we know, dies several times before his real death’. Our sorrow is that we shall miss all that we have laboured to acquire in this world. That we shall miss the love that we have shared, we shall miss our friends, we shall miss the enjoyment that we are sure and know of in this world with all the comfort. Yet the most distressing thing in death is that we shall disappear into an unfamiliar environment. But the first reading already assures us of a feast, just as it assures us of the destruction of death. But will I be one of the invited guests to this meal, is likely to be our next question. I am a sinner, full of miseries and unable to overcome my faults and failings. In fact, can I continue to hope for salvation? Paul assures us in the words of the second reading that our hope is not deceptive. The love of God has been poured into our hearts by the Holy Spirit that has been given to us. Christ’s death for us while we were still sinners is in itself an indication that God’s love goes beyond the limitations of the flesh. Nothing should deny us of our joy as Christians. Not even death. The love of God is not feeble and insecure, He loves us to the utmost, and that is why he teaches us to love even our enemies just like himself. If God loves us even when we were enemies by the life of sin which we lived, how much more now that we have been reconciled to him by the death of his son. Here lies our hope for salvation. It is not in our power or our personal goodness, it is in the love of God shown us in Christ Jesus. We pray that our departed ones may find rest in God. Amen Gospel (Matthew 11:25-30) The declaration of Jesus in today’s Gospel began with a prayer of thanksgiving to the Father for revealing to mere children what was hidden from the wise and learned. Just at the beginning of the chapter. (11:2-6) Jesus afterwards praised the virtues of John the Baptist after which he pronounced woes on the unrepentant cities (Chorazin & Bethsaida), where he had worked many miracles and the people still refused to repent and believe in him. It was in the aftermath of this that He gave thanks to God for the little ones to whom it has pleased the Father to reveal the mysteries. The rejection of the Mission of Jesus by many was something that all the Evangelists found necessary to address. While it was easy for the Baptist to recognise the Messiah in Jesus, even the experts and teachers of the Law and the prophets, the Scribes and the Pharisees just couldnt see the Messiah. Even the followers of the way were forced out of their Synagogues. Next, Jesus reveals the relationship between him and the Father. “All things have been delivered to me by my Father; and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.” It is very clear from this, that ‘revelation’ is a gift and not the result of a wise search. It is not the result of academic research. Isaiah reiterates the same thing saying: “The wisdom of their wise shall perish, and the discernment of the discerning shall be hidden.” (Is 29:14) . Revelation is often for those who have prepared themselves and who have faith in God. This relationship opens our mind to appreciate the next declaration on his ability to take the burdens of all on himself. “Come to me all you who labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me; for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden light.” Jesus’ offer of rest to the burdened calls us to reflect again on the issue of “Biblical rest.” While Jesus invites those who labour and are heavy laden to come to Him for rest, he also offers them His ‘yoke.’ There are various ways to understand the significance of the yoke in the time of Jesus: it could mean subjugation and oppression, but it was also worn by free people for the purpose of distributing the load of the burden they were carrying. One might also talk of the ‘yoke of the law,’ which was a common expression in rabbinic teaching. The idea of ‘rest’ in the bible is very rich. God rested after creation and established the weekly Sabbath rest as a sign of divine blessing—a participation in God’s life which is designed to help the body replenish and the soul nourished by the worship of God. ‘Peace’ in itself as often used in the bible refers to enjoying ‘rest’ from the enemies. In the great year of the jubilee, even the land was given a break from cultivation so that it might ‘rest’ and have the nutrients and fertility restored. The rest offered by Jesus must be seen as encompassing all of these but even more. The overburdened who are offered this ‘rest’ by Jesus could be as a result of sin, which cuts one off from the kingdom and for which Jesus came to rescue humanity and offers repentance and baptism as the entry point into the kingdom. They may also be those burdened by the weight of the Pharisaic interpretation of the Law which had made it impossible for anyone to live without the fear of breaking the Laws thereby straining their relationship with God and the community without an adequate emphasis on the Love of God for the sinner and the remission of sin. It may also refer to those who are already afraid of the demands of the new way of life in Christ, like those who stopped following Jesus because of his call to them to eat his body and drink his blood in the Gospel of John. Of course there are those burdened by the material things of life or the lack of them. Those who labour and toil daily to make ends meat, yet find their efforts go up in flames or their struggles end up in disappointment like Peter and Andrew who toiled all night without catching anything. By a paradox, Jesus offers a new type of burden, his yoke which is easy and light. This burden is to seek first the kingdom of God and every other thing will be added particularly, the peace of mind and satisfaction. We all are burdened in one way or the other. Our inability to find a solution to the problems that confront us take us from pillar to post and from sea to sea. “What we are looking for in Sokoto (city) is however in the pocket of the sokoto (trousers) we have on.” We just need to dig down deep within us and find Christ in the silent places of the heart and there we will find that peace. In Psalm 23 we pray, “The Lord is my Shepherd, there is nothing I shall want. Fresh and green are the pastures where he gives me repose, near restful waters he leads me to revive my drooping spirit.” Where are the men and women of yesterday? The fact that they are no longer with us today is a lesson that should rather make us humble. It should help us to reflect on our own lives and see how we can become better Christians. There are people who die and others find it hard to even remember them in prayers just because of the type of lives they have lived. Do I belong to that group of people? My dear brothers and sisters, let us today remember to say some prayers for our loved ones who have gone before us. Our prayers we hope will help attain mercy and pardon bring them to the joys of heaven. Let us specially remember those who died recently in the violent clashes around the world particularly the insurgency in our nation that they may rest in peace and their families be comforted. Eternal rest grant unto them O Lord, and Let perpetual light shine on them. May they rest in peace. Amen. Have a pleasant week.
Posted on: Sat, 01 Nov 2014 18:30:28 +0000
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