The Most Important Journey

Oct. 27, 2024

At the end of this week, we move into the month of November, the final month of the Church year. During this month the Church begins to reflect on what are called the Four Last Things. These are Death, Judgment, Heaven and Hell. We begin that reflection this Friday, Nov. 1, the Solemnity of All Saints, and Saturday, Nov. 2, the Feast of All Souls.
   
A few weeks ago, I spoke in my homily of Memento Mori, the remembrance of death. This is not intended to be a morbid sense of dread of the reality of death, but is intended to focus our minds, to be conscious of what really matters and what doesn’t. On our death beds, as we look back over our lives, we will see our lives more clearly. What will matter to us in those last weeks or days of our lives? We also become aware that death, as final as it seems, is not the end, for we human beings possess an immortal soul that will live into eternity, even as our bodies die and pass away.

I remember reading a book back in the ’70s, entitled, If You Don’t Know Where You Are Going, You Probably Won’t Get There. Reflecting on the Last Things clarifies for us “where we are going,” and hopefully will help us to get there.
—Fr. Mike Comer