02/10/2023

There are two moments in life when there is no doubt at all about the equality of all human beings. 

Today's readings ask us to reflect on the second of these. What will happen to me at the moment of my death? Those of us who have been present at the death bed of a loved one know that the dead body is no longer the living person whom we knew and loved.

The surrounding people, the bed, the room are still there unchanged but the corpse has lost the  being by which we knew our parent, child, sibling or friend. "The souls of the virtuous are in the hands of God." 

The Good News that Jesus brings to us is that there is an infinity of Merciful Grace to help us to become one of the "virtuous". His staff and rod are always available to guide the helpless weak individuals we all are at birth, through to the helplessness of the corpse we shall all become. 

Jesus reminds us that during our lifetimes no matter how the World judges us by wealth or status, we are always as equally helpless in the sight of Father, Son and Holy Spirit as we were at birth and will be at death. 

We are always mere children. We all have to walk in the footsteps of our "Good Shepherd" for he has shown us the way of virtue from the helplessness of birth through the feebleness of life to the helplessness of death.

He has not abandoned us to an impersonal fate but shown us how to live, "with joyful trust in God through Our Lord, Jesus Christ through whom we have already received our reconciliation."

Thanks be to God!

Dear Lord today as always I will ask your mercy to overflow into Purgatory and sweep out the penitents into the Glory of your presence. May those who do not have the peace and comfort in which to turn their hearts and minds to you at their moment of death be strengthened at that moment, which comes to us all, by the grace  prayed for by Mary and all the saints and which was released into Creation by the sacrifice of the Cross and the Glory of the Resurrection.