We believe in God's love and mercy, but no one can be certain about salvation. That is because it is God's domain and a gift that cannot be obtained solely through human effort and merit. Therefore, we never cease praying for God's mercy on behalf of our loved ones. Remembering them is also for ourselves. As we live in this world, by remembering and praying for those who have gone before us, we gain strength to live more diligently, joyfully, and gratefully. Additionally, we may also seek their prayers for the world and for ourselves.
Most importantly, we must remember and meditate on our own death. It is not only about remembering the deceased but also about recalling the death that awaits all of us and reflecting on the meaning and direction of our lives. We all know we will die, but we usually do not think about it in our daily lives. Life keeps us busy. The values of the world and the joys and sorrows fill our hearts completely. Of course, these are important. But sometimes it is worth considering whether that is enough.
Job, in his suffering, wishes for someone to record his story on a tombstone. He hopes it will be inscribed forever on stone with iron and lead. He wants it to be remembered by someone, so that he does not vanish without a trace. This is a fear of death and attachment to the world. There was once a time in our country when having sons and continuing the family line was highly valued.
If you think about it carefully, there are many flaws, but the main point is a desire not to be forgotten. However, if death is the end of everything, what meaning does that longing have? And if death is not the end but a new beginning, then what use is such attachment?
Thus, Job changes his hope. He hopes to see God, the Savior. Even after losing everything and with his flesh stripped from him, near death, he relies on the hope and faith of seeing the living God. What we must remember is precisely this hope.
Everything in our lives has an end—childhood, school life, work, relationships all reach a conclusion. However, the fact that they end does not mean they lose their meaning. Everything leads to a new beginning.
Success and failure, joy and regret are all completed in some way within us and become the foundation for new beginnings. But because we do not know what happens after death, we cannot accept death as an end in the same way. That is why we fear death and dislike aging.
People say that growing old means ripening, and that old age and death are about fruition and completion. But if we believe that death is the end of everything, we cannot escape emptiness and fear. As St. Paul said, "If for this life only we have hoped in Christ, we are of all people the most pitiable." (1 Corinthians 15:19) Christians do not place hope solely in worldly things, yet worldly values are even greater for those who believe. This is because they do not vanish without a trace at death, but become the foundation for a new and eternal life.
In today’s Gospel, Jesus speaks of the new and true happiness based on that very faith. Just as Job, having lost everything, gave up attachment to worldly things and chose the hope of meeting God, the life of a Christian possesses a steadfast strength that cannot be swayed by worldly wealth or power. On this All Souls’ Day, we remember this hope, which is easy to forget in worldly life, and we give thanks and praise for God’s merciful plan. Death is no longer a fearful curse for us, but a sign of victory. We pray that everyone in the world may live within this hope. “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called children of God.”
