Eucharist was the topic for discussion last week at the formation sessions for those who want to become Catholic.  Our Sunday celebration is participation in Jesus’ actions at the Last Supper.  When we celebrate the Eucharist we gather as a community, not merely a collection of isolated individuals.  When we pray, it is not for the purpose of addressing our self-concern, but for the purpose of fulfilling our obligation to give God the worship that God deserves.  When we receive Holy Communion, we experience not a generic blessing, but Jesus’ promise of redemption through his death and resurrection. 

All of the above is a reflection of the genius of the Catholic Faith.  Catholicism doesn’t leave us in the unenviable position of having to make up beliefs and practices for ourselves.  The Catholic Faith provides beliefs that help us remain in the presence of God and practices that help us proclaim our faith in the resurrection of Jesus. 

Catholicism teaches us what to embrace, and what to avoid, in our Eucharistic beliefs and practices because believing wrongly leads inevitably to becoming separated from God while believing rightly brings us ever closer to God and God’s People.  The Scripture readings today describe Catholicism’s perspective on another topic, the most challenging of human experiences. 

Today’s first reading says that death is an “affliction” and the “utter destruction” of the righteous. (Ws 3:2-3)  The Gospel reading contains Jesus’ promise that none of those who belong to God will be lost; rather, all will be raised up. (Jn 6:39)   

Death can, in fact, be the “utter destruction” of human life.  Death is such a daunting threat to life and happiness that every human society has invented countless ways of coping with the affliction that is death.  Archeological investigation has discovered ritualized burial practices even among societies which left no written record of their beliefs.   

In our society, we try to cope with the threat of death by minimizing the reality of death.  Recently, I heard an account of the burial of Mel Blanc, the voice actor who provided the voices of Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, and other well-known cartoon characters.  According to the account, his gravestone bears one of Bugs Bunny’s famous quotes, “That’s all folks!” 

Because death is the most frightening existential threat, the Catholic Faith provides beliefs and practices designed to offer comfort and hope.  All Saints Day, which was celebrated yesterday, is a memorial to all the good and holy people who lived saintly lives but aren’t recognized publicly with their own feast day.   

Mary, the mother of Jesus, is an example of humility, but not the only example.  St. Joseph is an example of fidelity and generosity, but he is accompanied by many such examples for us to emulate.  All Saints Day is the feast for all those examples of humility, faithfulness, and generosity that were known only in their local environment. 

For those at the opposite end of the spectrum of faith and virtue, Catholicism provides beliefs and practices to address the concerns we have about the baptized who failed in life to fulfill adequately their baptismal vows.  The most popular of these beliefs is Purgatory, but I prefer Thomas Aquinas’ alternative to Purgatory.   

Thomas opined that, in the afterlife, the Saints would continue their works of faith and virtue by acting as teachers to those who lived less than faithful and virtuous lives.  Thomas’ image of a classroom presided over by the Saints, and filled with those who failed to live faithfully, seems to me to be a more compassionate way to view those who fell short of authentic faith in this life. 

Between the two extremes above, namely, sainthood and sinfulness, lie the subjects of today’s feast.  Today, we remember fondly the good, faithful, and virtuous people whom death has taken from us.  It is the intention of this feast that we remember our beloved dead and that we do so with hope and peace of mind. 

Everyone present at this liturgy can think of people whose absence in death is a burden.  All of us have lost loved ones to death.  How are we to think about those whom we love but are absent?  The Catholic Faith has a response that provides hope and comfort. 

A common theme in religious art depicting the afterlife are images that portray the faithful departed as gathered in prayer around an Altar.  In those depictions, Jesus serves in the role of priest, leading the faithful departed in worship of God.  These images are grounded in the Scriptures and intend us to understand our Sunday worship as occurring in conjunction with the worship that the faithful perform in God’s presence. 

In the Catholic faith, death is real.  It is not merely the appearance of the end of life; it is the real end of life in this world.  Death is not, however, the end for those who belong to God.  In death, God safeguards the faithful.  As the first reading says, “grace and mercy are with his holy ones, and his care is with the elect.” (Ws. 3:9) 

As we stand here in prayer in this earthly house of God, we are not alone.  Obviously, God is present to us here.  Through the Eucharist, Jesus, the crucified and risen Savior, is present sacramentally.  Our beloved dead are present, as well.  We don’t share this physical space with our deceased loved ones, but we share in the act of worshiping God in thanksgiving for God’s goodness and mercy.  We are separated from them by death but united by our beliefs and worship. 

Catholicism teaches us that love never ends, that the faith we share in this life bridges the distance created by death, that Jesus conquered death in his resurrection, and that the affliction of death is healed by forgiveness and fidelity. 

Life is filled with uncertainty; the greatest and most threatening uncertainty is death.  Today, we confess our hope in the promise of resurrection, and we find comfort that none of the faithful are lost to God.