Bereavement

There is perhaps no greater sorrow than dealing with the reality of personal loss. Death can seem such a finite thing and the vacuum left by someone's parting can become a cross too hard to bear. Grieving is an unpredictable process; one moment we can feel happy as we remember a treasured moment shared with our loved one, another time we can be overcome by grief as our heart seems to break. As time passes the emotions become less extreme and we learn to live with the gap left by that person's parting. But that's not the end of the story, or is it?

I received the sad news that a young friend of mine died last month. My immediate reaction was shock, followed by deep sadness and sorrow. Questions followed such as, "Why was she taken so young?" She had so much promise, so much to give and experience. It all doesn't make any sense.

The death of Jesus Christ on a cross didn't make any sense. He was young, gifted and loved. He spent his life giving to others in a perfectly unselfish way. His death didn't make any sense and was one of the greatest scandals of all time, but his death was not the end. As a historical fact, three days after his death, he rose again from the dead and promised that everyone who believed in him would receive eternal life, that physical death is not the end.

When I reflect on the significance of this in light of my own experiences of loss, this is a great source of hope and consolation. I cling to this teaching of Jesus with all my heart because this means that I will, by God's grace, be united with those who have already journeyed on towards the light of God. This is one of the greatest hopes of all those who are Christian. This hope is a major part of our faith. What and who do you believe in?

During the month of November, in the Catholic tradition, we remember and pray for all our dead in a special way. We believe that after death, our eternal journey continues and that we can support our loved ones through our prayers. The dead are also able to pray to God for us at our request. One of the most popular prayers for the dead that Catholics say is: "Eternal rest grant unto them O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them, may they rest in peace. AMEN." The word 'AMEN' means 'so be it'. May all of our loved ones and friends rest in the peace and love of God: so be it. Collectively, this makes sense of death.

For more see: www.life4seekers.co.uk

This was written by Clare Ward who is a member of the Life4seekers team.

Image: www.radiantlight.org.uk