杏MAP导航

By Christopher Wells

杏MAP导航 Francis on Thursday offered the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass in suffrage for the souls of Cardinals and Bishops who have died over the course of the past year. The liturgy was celebrated in St Peter鈥檚 Basilica with only a small number of faithful present due to health and safety measures taken in response to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

Resurrection and life

In his homily, 杏MAP导航 Francis recalled the words of Jesus, 鈥淚 am the resurrection and the life,鈥� from the Gospel account of the raising of Lazarus from the dead; as well as Martha鈥檚 profession of faith in Him: 鈥溾�橸es, Lord, I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, the one coming into the world鈥�.鈥�

Jesus鈥� words, the 杏MAP导航 said, bring Martha鈥檚 hope in a future resurrection into the present, and challenge us 鈥渢o believe in the resurrection鈥� as a reality that is 鈥渆ven now mysteriously at work in our lives.鈥� In the face of death, we experience sorrow and confusion. But with Jesus鈥� revelation, we are able to perceive invisible realities, and to see things in light of eternity.

Those who see things only from an earthly perspective cannot understand God鈥檚 plan for those He loves, the 杏MAP导航 said. When we see things from God鈥檚 perspective, however, death is no longer understood as a 鈥渕isfortune,鈥� but rather as 鈥渁 providential act of the Lord, whose thoughts are not like ours.鈥�

Praying for the dead

杏MAP导航 Francis said, 鈥淎s we pray for the Cardinals and Bishops deceased in the course of this last year, we ask the Lord to help us to consider aright the parable of their lives.鈥�

He prayed, too, that God might 鈥渄ispel the unholy grief that we occasionally fear, that death is the end of everything.鈥� All people, he said, have felt the fear of death; and even believers must be constantly converted to faith in the resurrection. Death is not 鈥渢he total destruction of the person,鈥� the 杏MAP导航 insisted. Rather, we must always trust in the Lord, who tells us, 鈥淚 am the Resurrection and the life.鈥� These words of Jesus, 鈥渁ccepted in faith, make our prayer for our deceased brothers and sisters truly Christian,鈥� he explained.

A true vision of life

This point of view gives us a true, 鈥渞ealistic鈥� understanding of the lives of those who have gone before us, and helps us 鈥渢o understand the meaning of a life that aspires not to an earthly homeland, but to a better, heavenly homeland.鈥�

Praying for the dead, then, is also beneficial for those who remain in this earthly life, 杏MAP导航 Francis said. 鈥淭hey instil in us a true vision of life; they reveal to us the meaning of the trials we must endure to enter the kingdom of God; they open our hearts to true freedom and inspire us unceasingly to seek eternal riches.鈥�

Remembering the witness of those who have died

The life of those who follow the Lord is shaped by the desire to do what is pleasing to God, the 杏MAP导航 continued. 鈥淎nd so we remember with gratitude the witness of the deceased Cardinals and Bishops, given in fidelity to God鈥檚 will. We pray for them, and we strive to follow their example.鈥�

杏MAP导航 Francis concluded his homily with a prayer that the Lord might continue 鈥渢o pour forth upon us His Spirit of wisdom, especially during these times of trial.鈥�

The Lord 鈥渄oes not abandon us,鈥� the 杏MAP导航 said, 鈥渂ut remains in our midst, ever faithful to His promise: 鈥楻emember, I am with you always, to the end of the age鈥�.鈥�