The souls of the righteous are in the hand of God,
and no torment shall touch them.
They seemed, in the view of the foolish, to be dead;
and their passing away was thought an affliction
and their going forth from us, utter destruction.
But they are in peace.
For if to others, indeed, they seem punished,
yet is their hope full of immortality;
Chastised a little, they shall be greatly blessed,
because God tried them
and found them worthy of himself. (Wisdom 3:1-5 NABRE)
Each person who maintains faith in Christ should seek to live in a way that is pleasing to God. One word used to describe those who work at this is righteous. Perfection is not required, but faith is necessary for righteousness. It motivates and energizes our efforts to live rightly.
Suffering is a roadblock for many, often turning us bitterly from God, either briefly or for a long time. And while we may grow angry with God, confused as to why suffering has to happen, we should never let go of our faith that in the end, God's plan is bigger than our plans, his love never leaves us, and his mercy is greater than any sin we can ever commit.
The author of the book of Wisdom affirms that, for the righteous, sufferings are not punishments but purification and opportunities to show fidelity, whereas for the wicked suffering is truly a punishment.*
Lord God, Father of us all, creator of all things, who sustains me in this very moment, please accept my faith, and use it to shape all my actions--the good ones and the bad ones--to your plan. Conform me to your will, so that I might participate in building your Kingdom during this life and share in your promise for the next, in the company of all the faithful who have gone before me.
Today, on this Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed, I will pray for members of my family, friends, acquaintances, coworkers, and others I've known who have died in faith--standing with them in God's presence, so that they will experience the final purification of God's grace and his eternal company.
All you Faithful Departed, pray for us.
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