Saint Fulgentius of Ruspe (Ep. ad Gallam viduam 3-5: CCL 91,198-199), ... do not have an undifferentiated sadness over the death of your husband

Attending the congregation of the Mass, a widow is grieving the recent death of her husband.      

The thoughts of St. Fulgentius in the Night Office, expressed well the prayer, 'not think of him (husband) as lost but as sent on ahead of you. You should not think of his youth as prematurely cut off but rather see him confirmed in an endless eternity. To the faithful souls it is said:  "Your youth shall be renewed like the eagle's."

 Augustin Press Edition 1999

TWO YEAR LECTIONARY

PATRISTIC VIGILS READINGS

ORDINARY TIME

WEEKS 1 to 17 : YEAR II

TUESDAY, SIXTH WEEK OF ORDINARY TIME, YEAR II

A READING FROM THE FIRST LETTER OF ST PAUL TO THE THESSALONIANS

(A holy life and the hope of resurrection: 1 Thessalonians 4:1-18)

  

Alternative Reading

From a letter by Saint Fulgentius of Ruspe (Ep. ad Gallam viduam 3-5:

CCL 91,198-199)

Sent on ahead of you

So, if we hold on to the true faith, if we harbor no doubts about the words of God, if we, with most certain hope, progress toward the future life, if we love God and neighbor worthily, if we do not await a vainglory from human beings but the true glory of the Christian name from God, we must not like the unbelievers have any sadness concerning the faithful departed and, to speak more precisely, our people who have fallen asleep. There must remain in our heart a distinction between a salutary and a harmful sadness

by which it comes about that a spirit, given over to eternal things, does not collapse because of the loss of temporal solace and assumes a salutary sadness concerning these things in which it considers that it did either something less or differently than it should have.

So Paul teaches that each type of sadness is different no less in deed than in word. Finally, he shows that in one there is progress toward salvation but in the other an ending in death, saying, "For godly sorrow produces a salutary repentance without regret but worldly sorrow produces death."

Therefore, do not have an undifferentiated sadness over the death of your husband beyond the way of the Christian faith. You should not think of him as lost but as sent on ahead of you. You should not think of his youth as prematurely cut off but rather see him confirmed in an endless eternity. To the faithful souls it is said:

"Your youth shall be renewed like the eagle's."  (Saint Fulgentius of Ruspe). 

Far be it from us, agreeing with the errors of the unbelievers, to think or to say that" A black day has carried off and plunged in bitter death" that young Christian man. For black day carries off those who, according to the saying of the Apostle John, "are in darkness and walk in darkness and do not know where they are going because the darkness has blinded their eyes." Black day has carried off those whom the true light itself vehemently rebukes:

"This is the verdict," he says, "that the light came into the world but people preferred darkness to light because their works were evil." Such are they who live in such a way that when they hear the voice of the Son of God, they are called forth, not to life, but to judgment, as the Lord says, "The hour is coming in which all who are in the tombs will hear his voice and will come out, those who have done good deeds to the resurrection of life, but those who have done wicked deeds to the resurrection of condemnation." And since neither a short nor a long life can avail these people, consequently in the book of Wisdom it is said of such people:

"Even if they live long, they will be held of no account and, finally, their old age will be without honor. If they die young, they will have no hope and no consolation on the day of judgment."

Responsory      Ps 41:1; Gal 6:2

Blessed are those who are concerned for the poor and the weak;

+ the Lord will save them in time of trouble