Feast of All Souls [replaces 31st Sunday of Ordinary Time]
FEAST OF ALL SOULS A mother of one has just become a mother of two. However, there are complications. As it turns out, the baby never makes it home from the hospital. The doctors do all that they can do, but it’s not enough. Now the mother has to break the news to her daughter. She explains it this way: “Your baby brother has gone to be with Jesus.” The daughter feels the need to be alone, so that she can say a prayer. Meanwhile, the mother receives a call from one of her friends. As she talks into the phone, the mother opens up about the profound sense of grief. She wonders out loud: “How are you supposed to recover when you have lost your child?” For her part, the daughter happens to overhear the conversation. Therefore, later on, as she is being tucked into bed, the daughter poses the following question: “Can something be lost if you know where it is?” As far as the mother is concerned, it would be a mistake to describe something as lost if you know where it ...