March 29, 2020
How does belief in the final resurrection from the dead affect your family’s daily life?
by Mary Sellars Malloy
Earlier this year, when travel was still safe and life was at its usual pace, I traveled to San Antonio to lead a day-long retreat on Mary and the saints. One of the retreat day segments focused on the Communion of Saints: the pilgrims on Earth, the souls in Purgatory, and the saints in Heaven. Together, we are one family of faith caught up in a great procession to the heavenly kingdom, and our mission is to help each other reach our heavenly home.
As we live with the reality and the impact of the coronavirus, living out our shared mission becomes all the more important. What if, each day, we simply looked to our left and our right, before us and behind us, to see who needs help, encouragement, a friend, shelter, and love? What if we reached out a hand to help the struggling and the lost return to or join the great procession? In the words of “The Servant Song” (Richard Gallard): “We are pilgrims on a journey, we are trav’lers on the road; we are here to help each other walk the mile and bear the load.”
Belief in the final resurrection, belief in eternal life with God and the saints and angels in Heaven, puts this short earthly journey and trials such as the current pandemic into perspective. This is not our home. The pain, suffering, and challenges we may face while here are but moments in the span of time. When death separates us from those we love, we are certain in hope that we will one day be reunited in Heaven. This is what motivates us to keep moving forward with others on the journey, striving to make it to that kingdom where our loved ones and all the saints have gone before us are extending their hearts and their hands—praying for us, cheering us on, and leading us home.
Mary Sellars Malloy has over forty years’ experience as a Catholic educator and lay minister. She is a frequent workshop presenter on the topics of prayer, liturgy, spirituality, the Sacraments, and the RCIA. In addition, Mary leads retreats and parish missions throughout the country. Her goal is to encourage Catholics of all ages to appreciate and to live their Catholic faith.