Counting the days of life on earth

November 2, Wednesday, 31st Week in Ordinary Time
Commemoration of all the  Faithful Departed (All Souls’ Day)
Daily Readings: First Reading: Wisdom of Solomon 3:1-9; Second Reading: Romans 6:3-9 Gospel: John 6:37-40

Today we celebrate what we think of the least: the victory over death. Yes! I call it a victory over death because the liturgy teaches us, "the commemoration of the faithful departed." Do all die faithfully or does everyone die with faith in Christ and his salvation?

We think the least about death because we want to live eternally. Today, the holy scriptures in the liturgy teach us that we are pilgrims on earth just waiting to return to where we came from.

We will return to the right place when we carry out our duty according to the will of the one who sent us here. The scriptures say, "the souls of the faithful are in the hands of God." So, dying faithfully in him brings the reward of eternal life.

The significance of the day reminds us of our fragility and dependency upon God. All those whom the Father has given into my care will come to me, and I will not reject anyone, because I have come to do not my will but the will of Him who has sent me." Death is not suffering but the end of all sufferings, for after death there is no more death but life in abundance and life in totality.

The mother church reminds us today to pray for those who have left this world and gone ahead of us to the place where we will follow them one day.

Today, we need to remember not only our near and dear ones, parents, and siblings whom the Lord has called, but also those forgotten souls whose existence only God knows and that they might also inherit his kingdom.