After Life Now
Is it dangerous to think of the afterlife?
But the souls of the righteous are in the hand of God, and no torment will ever touch them. In the eyes of the foolish they seemed to have died, and their departure was thought to be a disaster, and their going from us to be their destruction; but they are at peace. For though in the sight of others they were punished, their hope is full of immortality. Having been disciplined a little, they will receive great good, because God tested them and found them worthy of himself; like gold in the furnace he tried them, and like a sacrificial burnt-offering he accepted them. In the time of their visitation they will shine forth, and will run like sparks through the stubble. They will govern nations and rule over peoples, and the Lord will reign over them for ever. Those who trust in him will understand truth, and the faithful will abide with him in love, because grace and mercy are upon his holy ones, and he watches over his elect. - Wisdom 3:1-9
Today's reading from the Book of Wisdom talks about those who have gone before us.
They are seen by us as dead, their lives cut short or fulfilled, no longer active in this world. But to God, they are alive, immortal, and possibly very active.
And it says they will govern and watch over the elect, so perhaps they are still active in this world as well.
Just as the saints are fresh in our minds, we read about them as tested and pure, accepted by God to watch over us and help us.
That's a great way to think of those who passed before, especially since we want to now our loved ones are still with us.
So, let us offer thanks to God for His love that keep us alive even in death, and while we have time now, on earth, et us try to be shining examples of the pure at heart, the tested and true, for we all need help to make it through the struggles.
What better time to be a light in the darkness than now?
More to come...