The death and resurrection of our Savior Jesus Christ gives a positive meaning to the Christian death. He links faith in the resurrection to his own person: “I am the Resurrection and the Life (John 11:25).
St. Paul proclaimed, “if we have died with him, we will also live with him (Second Epistle to St. Timothy 2:11). And the Catechism of the Catholic Church emphasizes this hope: “We firmly believe, and hence we hope that, just as Christ is truly risen from the dead and lives forever, so after death the righteous will live forever with the risen Christ and he will raise them up on the last day. Our resurrection, like his own, will be the work of the Most Holy Trinity” (CCC 989).
Thus, when we lose a loved one, the sadness of bodily death should give way to the joyful hope of resurrection, and the celebration of your loved one's life should reflect our conviction that in Jesus Christ we have eternal life beyond earthly life. For when we profess our faith in the Nicene Creed, we profess belief in the "resurrection of the body." Although we feel grief, it is important that we turn to our community for support and that we find comfort in the words of Our Lord Jesus who proclaimed “I am the Resurrection and the Life" (John 11:25).
The community of Our Lady of Lebanon Church wishes to extend that support to you during this time. Please contact our parish office at (630) 932-9640.