Commemoration
of All the Faithful Departed
Cycle A
November 2, 2014 7:30 and 9:00 am
Saint Margaret, Bel Air
Imagine – Around 1875
Try to
imagine for just a minute that it is around the year 1875.
It is
rural America, out in the farm country of the Midwest. There are no cars, only horses and
horse-drawn wagons.
In that
setting, there lives a little boy named Tom – and this is a true story! Both of Tom’s parents die and he is left an
orphan.
His
Aunt Katherine takes him in and raises him.
Then, years later, Tom receives a letter from his Aunt Katherine.
She has
a terminal illness and, from the tone of the letter, Tom knows that she is
afraid of death. So he writes a letter
in response.
Letter from Tom
Dear Aunt Katherine, thirty-five years ago,
when I was six-years-old, I was left alone in the world. You sent me word that you would give me a
home and be a mother to me.
“I’ve never forgotten the day when I made the
long journey of ten miles to your house.
I can still recall my disappointment when, instead of coming to me
yourself, you sent your hired-hand Joseph to fetch me.
“I remember my tears and anxiety as, perched
high on the horse and clinging tight to Joseph, I rode off to my new home. Night fell before we finished the journey
and, as it grew dark, I became even more afraid.
“‘Do you think she’ll go to bed before I get
there?’ I asked Joseph. ‘Oh, no,’ Joseph
answered, ‘she’s sure to stay up. When
we get out of these woods, you’ll see her light shining in the window.’
“We did ride out into the clearing and there
was your light. I remember that you were
waiting at the door; that you put your arms tight around me; that you lifted me
– a tired, frightened, little boy – down from the horse.
“You had a fire burning on the hearth, a hot
supper waiting on the stove. After
supper you took me to my new room.
“You heard me say my prayers. Then you sat with me until I fell asleep.
“You very probably realize why I am now trying
to recall this to your memory. Very
soon, God is going to send for you, and take you to a new home.
“I’m trying to tell you that you needn’t be
afraid of the summons or of the strange journey. God can be trusted.
“God can be trusted to do as much for you as
you did for me so many years ago. At the
end of the road you’ll find love and a welcome waiting for you.
“And you’ll be safe in God’s care. I’m going to watch and pray for you until
you’re out of sight.
“And I shall wait for the day when I make the
same journey myself and find you waiting at the end of the road to greet me.”
Our Faith
Tom’s
letter to his Aunt Katherine is very touching.
It shows
a simple, but clear, strong, and trusting faith. It reflects so beautifully Jesus’ words in
today’s gospel.
Jesus
says: “Everything that the Father gives me
will come to me, and I will not reject anyone who comes to me. This is the will of the one who sent me, that
I should not lose anything of what he gave me.”
Jesus
is so clear in his promise and in the hope he gives us. He is affirming what one writer calls the
circle of God’s love.
God’s
love creates us. God’s love is with us
in Jesus.
God’s
love sustains us on this earth. And
God’s love re-creates us when we pass on from this earth and go to our heavenly
home.
This is
the circle of God’s love. This circle
includes all of us and that is why we believe that we remain and will remain in
relationship with our loved ones and with all of God’s sons and daughters.
This is
how we understand Jesus’ words in today’s gospel. And this is why we have All Souls Day, a day
to remember and pray for all the faithful departed.
