Troisfontaine - Holy Souls

Friday 20^th. November 2009

Monthly Memorial for Brethren, Relatives and Benefactors.

The Second Reading of the Night Office was from the book “I Do Not Die” by Fr. Roger Troisfontaines *.

At the Mass we celebrate the regular Memorial of the community deceased and at this Month of the Holy Souls are especially prayed for. The words of the Entrance picked up the theme of “the hour”:

“From the very start of His public life He speaks of His "hour ," of "this hour for which I came," and which is none other than "the hour for him to pass out of this world to the Father."

“As a model for all men to follow, He wished to express this attitude very clearly, even with His last breath before dying: "Father, into Thy hands recommend My spirit" (Lk 23,,46). Being the perfect Yes "He became obedient unto death" (Phil 2,8)”.

A Reading about Jesus Christ, the Firstborn from the Dead. THE death and Resurrection of Christ are the foundation of our hope in immortality, but the theological importance of the mystery of Easter far exceeds that single aspect. Is it not true that the whole of Revelation is resplendent with the light of Jesus, crucified and risen, whom St. Paul calls the summary of all his knowledge? Is He not the glorified Deceased in whom we find an intimation of what the Charity of God must be, and our response to it? "I t is in Jesus Christ only," says Pascal, "that we may know what our life, our death, and our God is, and what we ourselves are." God had intended death to be the way of reaching our final state in full consciousness and freedom, and with the wealth of our experiences. Unfortunately , our sin has stamped upon this death the stigmata of suffering and horror. These marks are indelible: we see them even in the suffering of the God-Man. But His death changed their meaning; new man may remain united with God even unto the very instant of his departure from life. To use the ancient Christian phrase, it is now possible for him to "die in the Lord." Human life is essentially an apprenticeship to death. Since Jesus Christ is true man, He consummates His destiny only in His last act: His passing to the Hereafter. He has always been truly aware of this. From the very start of His public life He speaks of His "hour ," of "this hour for which I came," and which is none other than "the hour for him to pass out of this world to the Father." Throughout His whole life on earth He is looking forward to that Easter when He will finally attain the fullness of His humanity. If sin had not been present in the world His death would have been a glorious transformation. In any event, only in His passing from this earth to heavenly life does Jesus fulfil His essential mission: He the "Pontifex" or "Bridgebuilder” bridges over the abyss between human and divine nature. Above all else, therefore, this all-important act of dying is the one in which we must resemble Him and be united with Him. He showed us a way of life to teach us the right way of dying: without sin, at peace with God. As a model for all men to follow, He wished to express this attitude very clearly, even with His last breath before dying: "Father, into Thy hands recommend My spirit" (Lk 23,,46). Being the perfect Yes "He became obedient unto death" (Phil 2,8). * I Do Not Die, New York - Tournai - Paris - Rome 1963 pp.245-246, 253-254