NOVEMBER

“We know that Christ has been raised from the dead and will never die again.
Death has no power over him any more. …

(Romans 6:9)

 
November is a month when we remember and honour the dead. We are often shy or nervous about discussing death, especially around children. Yet children often cope with death, or the idea of death, far better than adults. Perhaps this is because they spend most of their time having to accept difficult ideas, or because it seems remote for them. St Paul saw death as a gift; a way to an even closer life with Christ, made possible through our share in his resurrection. As Christians we are called to share in this belief: that even death is a gift that brings new life.

To read:  Romans 6:1-11

To reflect on:  Death brings with it bereavement for those who remain and a cycle of grief. Even if we have not experienced a death recently, it is likely that we have experienced change in our lives. Each change , for example a birth, leaving home, changing or losing a job, brings with it a cycle, like that of bereavement, where we can move through anxiety, depression and anger towards a new life. Think of a major change in your life, or the life of your family. Have you been able to find a new life beyond it and recognise it as a gift?

To do: Take part in the celebration of All Souls’ Day, a remembrance service or perhaps even a funeral of someone you do not know very well. Take time to celebrate life as a gift from God and thank God for this gift. Spend some time meditating on the Paschal Candle in your church. It is first lit in celebration of the resurrection and again at baptisms and funerals. Between those two events is the gift of a life on earth lived in Christ. What one gift could you give to God in return?