Hallowe’en. All Saints Day. All Souls Day. Remembrance Day. November comes upon us, and we see the signs of death in nature: falling leaves; wet, windy days; long, chilly nights. November naturally invites us to ponder our mortality, finitude, and vulnerability. Our faith takes death seriously. But it also teaches us that death is not the final answer. “Death, where is your victory? Where is your sting?” For Christians, death is not the end, but the final transition: it is the movement from time into eternity, a movement which is beautifully captured in the uplifting, hopeful funeral liturgy of the Church.

Today, we celebrate not a “Mass for the dead”, but a “Mass of the Resurrection”. We invite the families of those whose funerals took place here at St. Monica’s over the past year to join us, as we commemorate their loved ones, the departed members of our faith community. We light candles. We sing. We pray. We remember. We celebrate the Eucharist: Christ’s promise of life triumphant over death: “I am the Resurrection and the Life. Those who believe in me will live forever.” We believe that Jesus is faithful to his promise. That his Paschal Mystery – his own passion, death, and resurrection – reveals the pattern of our lives as well. As we remember all those whose names are written in our “loving memory” books – family members, mentors, friends, fellow parishioners – let us be grateful for the gift of life. Life here on earth, with its joys and struggles; life eternal, where we will enjoy the reward of our labours, resting in the arms of our loving Creator.