It’s been four years since my dad passed away last May 31, 2020, and my mom has been gone for three years since May 12, 2021. Both of their urns are in our home in the Philippines, as my siblings from Toronto and I are supposed to return to have a proper burial for them. Unfortunately, I couldn’t make it again due to unforeseen events in my family over the past year and this year. But It was meaningful to see the Trinidad and Mallari families gather together; their presence has been invaluable for each of us as a family & in the healing process of losing a loved one. I am grateful for the internet and technology, which have made it easier to connect with everyone, even when being there in person isn’t possible. I could still minister to my family and relatives via Facebook Messenger Live. It’s still quite emotional to know that my parents are gone, but it is very comforting to hold on to the hope that there is something more for those who believe.
I believe each one of you at Living Faith Christian Church of Porac has experienced the loss of a loved one at some point in your life. The pain of loss is a profound and deeply personal experience. No one can ever stop the process of life. We will all live once and will go through the aging process and then die; it’s the reality of the cycle of life.
As we all know, there’s a time for everything, just like what is written in Ecclesiastes 3:2: “A time to be born, and a time to die…”
In my workplace in Canada, where I work in Palliative Care, I have witnessed the diverse experiences of dying. Each individual and family face this journey differently. Fear of dying is a common theme, especially when there is no clear understanding of what lies beyond. Dying is inevitable; no one can escape it. Whether you are rich or famous, a believer or not, we will all eventually reach our deathbeds. It is the reality of life and the fate of humankind, a truth that unites us all in our shared experience of grief.
However, amidst life’s challenges and uncertainties, there is always a glimmer of hope rooted in God’s promises. This hope is not just a faint light but a beacon of reassurance for those who believe in His Only Son, Jesus Christ. Believers find profound comfort in Jesus’ teachings and sacrifices, knowing that His love and grace extend to them, offering guidance, comfort, and the promise of eternal life.
Believers Who Have Died
1 Thessalonians 4:13-18
Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope. For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. According to the Lord’s word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore encourage one another with these words.
For all of us who believe deeply in our faith, a profound hope sustains us: the eager anticipation of Christ’s return. We look forward to that glorious day when our loved ones who have passed away in Christ will be resurrected first, rising to join us in eternal life. This promise comforts us and fills us with hope, knowing that we will be united with our families and friends in the presence of the Lord. As we await His return, we find solace in the assurance that death is not the end but rather a passage to a new beginning filled with joy and peace.
We find solace in the assurance that death is not the end but rather a passage to a new beginning filled with joy and peace.
