DEATH SHOULD not frighten Catholics, but should make them hopeful for a renewed life imbued with God’s everlasting grace and presence, a Dominican priest said.
In his homily during the mass for All Souls’ Day on Saturday, Nov. 2, Fr. Lesly Louvis, O.P. said death should be seen as a gateway to resurrection wherein the faithful departed could experience the joy of heaven for eternity.
“We all know that death is inevitable, [but] we should not worry about death. Death should not make us worry, rather, today, each one should ask ourselves, ‘After my death, where do I want to go? Where is my final destiny?” Louvis said at the Santisimo Rosario Parish.
“As frail humans, we may have a natural fear or may even have the phobia [of] death, but a Christian? Love, faith and hope would have the upper hand in this death,” he added.
Louvis urged the faithful to find courage in Christ who also faced death when he was crucified on the cross, emphasizing that He was eventually brought back to life.
“Death is a reality. Sometimes, death seems to be an end for us. When death becomes hard, let us come to Him, let us conquer this death. Let us hold onto Him who was there on the cross, crucified and dead for three days and brought to life,” he said.
The Dominican priest added that while death is the end of life on earth, it ultimately brings a “joyful” beginning for the departed as they would never be separated from God again.
“Death for you is the beginning of life in Him. The start of great sadness in you is the start of great joy in Him… Let us believe in God’s assurance that we may reach resurrection to eternal life,” Louvis said.
All Souls’ Day, observed annually on Nov. 2, is dedicated to Christians who have passed on and who are believed to be in purgatory.
A mass for the deceased members of the Thomasian community will also be held at the Santisimo Rosario Parish on Friday, Nov. 8. F — Trisha Tamio
