It is to God that I raise our my eyes. For my beloved ones are with Him. That belief is my greatest peace and joy. Both the living and the dead are one in God.
ook at the stars. The great kings of the past watch over us from those stars. So whenever you feel lonely, just remember that those kings are always there to guide you and so will I. These are the encouraging words from Lion King Mufasa to his son Simba in the movie, The Lion King.
Death always inspires us to lift up our eyes. How sad it is, to recall the journey of those who have been with us, who have dined with us, who had fun with us and have grown together with us. They all have left us, even without a proper goodbye. Every morning we wake up hoping that they would return. At twilight as we realize that they have not yet retuned, we sadly disappear into the darkness of the night. But still in the depth of our heart we have some hope that they may return some time.
Eventually, we will admit the fact that they will never be back. How unbearable the pain! Yes, we will never be able to see those who have been so close to us with our eyes. An inexplicably painful experience! Is there anyone out there who can fully comprehend the agony I go through? With whom can I share this very intimate experience? Sadly, to no one! Their belongings, their bed, their room, shoes, their own style of speaking etc, everything has become just memories for me.
Death of our beloved ones is the most painful experience in life. What else can we do rather than mourning? Who can exactly measure the intensity of one’s sorrow, rather than he himself? No one else can be blamed for it. No one gets burnt until and unless one is in direct contact with fire.
It is very unpleasant and insensitive that some people while attending a funeral service behave like mere observers or make inappropriate and unfitting comments. How odd it is to see others chatting and chuckling when someone is mourning over his or her dear one’s loss. Can we not be a bit more sensitive, compassionate and caring? Let us keep in mind the day we all will be mourning for our dear ones.
My own sister, Rev. Jessy Kadooparayil DST, passed away at 3 a.m. on 29 December 2018. She had been going through medical treatment at the Caritas Hospital, Kottayam. At times I ponder over; where might she be now? I could figure out almost exactly all her movements while she was alive. I could imagine her moving around in the convent, praying in the chapel, in her room, at school, hospital, travelling in the bus, walking on the pebbled courtyard, smiling softly and laughing loud, and correcting me mildly and so on; all these scenes have now became vivid memories which leave me in tears. But where is she now? A really painful question.
I know for sure that she is neither in the coffin buried under six feet of land, nor within the black marble tomb. Human being is not just the body alone; he/she has a soul too. Death happens as soon as the soul leaves the body. It is, indeed, a journey back to God. A return to the starting point! St Augustine wrote:
“Thou hast made us for thyself, O Lord, and our heart is restless until it finds its rest in thee.”
Is there anyone in this world who is completely restful? All are restless until they get back home. Death is nothing but returning to absolute peace.
All our dear departed ones are expected to have found their rest in God. The answer to the question where they might be presently can be found in the Book of Wisdom:
“The souls of the righteous are in the hand of God, and no torment shall touch them” (Wisdom 3:1).
“I raise my eyes toward the mountains. From where will my help come?” (Ps 121:1).
All eyes are to be raised to God. All my beloved ones are with Him. Our greatest peace and joy rest in such a firm belief. Both the living and the dead are one in God.
Stars are pretty visible in the sky during night. We see them very clearly in the moon light. Certain nights, especially when the sky is cloudy, the stars may not be visible. That doesn’t mean, they are not there. They are just invisible to us. All our dear departed ones are just like the stars in the sky. All of them are with God, though not visible to us. They are always up there just like the guiding stars.
In the famous movie Lion King the father lion (Mufasa) saves his son (Simba) from a very dangerous situation. Later, on a starry night when both the father and son were together, Simba asked his father:
“Dad, we will always be together. Right?”
Mufasa replied: “Let me tell you something that my Dad told me.”
He looked at the stars and said:
“Look at the stars. The great kings of the past watch over us from those stars. So whenever you feel lonely, just remember that those kings are always up there to guide you, and so will I.”
Samba replied: “But I can’t see them in the stars, Dad.”
Here Mufasa’s response was very striking:
“Keep looking son, keep on looking.”
Whenever I feel lonely, I lift up my eyes to the sky. I see the shining stars in the sky and tears fill up in my eyes.
Written by Fr. G. Kadooparayil MCBS
Translated by Fr. Jaimon Mulappancheril MCBS