Fr. Mike Schmitz

Paul in chapter four, who's able to say, we would not have you ignorant brethren concerning those who are asleep.

Again, those who have died, that you may not grieve as others who do not have hope.

This is so incredible.

We do grieve.

As Christians, we grieve, but we don't grieve as those who have no hope.

We don't grieve as those who think that death is the end.

Death is this place of transition.

It's this passage into eternal life for those who are to be saved.

And so we do grieve, but we don't grieve as those who have no hope.

We don't grieve like the rest.

But St.

Paul goes on to say, for this we declare to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, shall not precede those who have fallen asleep.

For when the Lord comes, the dead will rise.

The dead in Christ will rise.

And then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.

And so we shall always be with the Lord.

Therefore, comfort one another with these words.

And that's incredible, incredible word of comfort for all of us, is that those who have died, those who have passed on,

We'll meet them again.

Those are passed on in Christ.