It has sometimes been remarked, in lighter vein, that none of us gets out of here alive. Death is part of the human condition and we are aware of death and feel the threat of ultimate absurdity. How shall we confront it? Denial—often lived in frenetic distraction—is no help. Christian faith, in contrast with all other faiths, has a distinctive claim: in Jesus’ death, God reached out to us in tender and vulnerable love, becoming our companion on the way. Both John 12 and Hebrews 5 affirm that. It is astonishing to the point of being almost incredible.

Prayer

Great and loving God, we are surrounded by mystery—the mystery of ourselves, of death, of creation, of you. You are our companion on the way and we place our hand confidently in your outstretched hand.

K O’Mahony OSA