Eternity is Our Destiny

This Saturday, November 1, we celebrate the joy of All Saints, the Church triumphant, our brothers and sisters who now share the glory of heaven. And this Sunday, November 2, our hearts focus on the Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed. These two days are closely linked, as joy and sadness were united in Jesus Christ. The saints remind us of our destiny, and the deceased invite us to remember with love, to pray with hope, and to walk with faith.

The liturgy for this feast offers several reading options. One of them is the passage on the “Last Judgment” in the Gospel of Matthew (Mt 25:31-46), which reveals the heart of Christian life: faith in Christ expressed in love for one’s neighbor. The Son of Man separates the sheep from the goats, blessing those who served the hungry, the foreigners, the sick, and the imprisoned. In other words, two truths are presented to us: God’s mercy and our responsibility.

Let us remember that the mystery of the Church is that salvation is always a gift from God. We are justified not by our own efforts, but by God’s grace, a gift freely offered to us. Faith is a gift to be received. However, like any gift, it requires a response. God’s grace bears fruit only when we open our hearts to Him.

This week, as we pray for the souls of the departed, we recall the great mystery of the communion of saints. The Church teaches us that there are three dimensions to this communion: the triumphant Church in heaven, the suffering Church in purgatory, and the pilgrim Church on earth. Visiting cemeteries, offering Masses, and remembering the dead are not only acts of sorrow, but of hope, rooted in the conviction that death does not have the last word.

This communion also reminds us of responsibility. What we do on earth resonates in eternity. Our choices, our actions, our capacity to love or withhold love —all of this matters. As Jesus teaches, it is not enough to avoid doing harm; rather, we are called to do good, to feed the hungry, to welcome the stranger, and to comfort the afflicted.

But here we face the temptation of selfishness and pride, which close our eyes and harden our hearts. They blind us to the needs of those around us. To live well is to see not only ourselves, but also those who suffer nearby. Faith opens our eyes, softens our hearts, and gives us the courage to act generously. As we pray for the faithful departed, we also reflect on our own journey. The Last Judgment should not frighten us; rather, it should encourage us to live the present with faith, mercy, and love. God’s grace always comes first: salvation is his gift. But God asks us to respond, to make our lives a witness of love. May the Lord, at the end of our days, recognize us as good and faithful servants. May the Virgin Mary accompany us on our journey, so that one day we may rejoice with the saints, united with all the faithful departed in God’s eternal and beautiful embrace.

May the Lord always give you his peace.

Fr. Lalo Jara, OFM
Pastor, Mission San Luis Rey Parish