Parading in Paradise

Remembering and praying for our beloved dead

11/02/2021

Jn 6:37-40 Jesus said to the crowds: “Everything that the Father gives me will come to me, and I will not reject anyone who comes to me, because I came down from heaven not to do my own will but the will of the one who sent me. And this is the will of the one who sent me, that I should not lose anything of what he gave me, but that I should raise it on the last day. For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in him may have eternal life, and I shall raise him on the last day.”

Every year on November 2, we pray for all those who have died. Here at Immaculate Conception, we go all out for them. We erect an altar to those who have died and place pictures of our beloved dead upon it. I was gazing at it recently and recognized many faces, some of whose funerals I did. How fitting that altar sits below the loving gaze of Mary, whom we ask to pray for us, “now at the hour of our death. Amen.” In addition, here at I.C., we also pray a novena of Masses – nine days of Masses – for those who have died, remembering specifically the names written on the envelopes placed on the main altar. Let me share with you three thoughts as we remember and pray for our beloved dead today.

The first thought comes from Archbishop Fulton Sheen, who memorably said: “In heaven there will be three surprises. First, there will be some people there we did not expect to make it to heaven. Second, there will be some people not there whom we did expect to see there. And third, we ourselves might make it to heaven, which will be the biggest surprise of all.” That is why we need to pray for the dead, and we need the dead to pray for us – yes, the souls in purgatory can pray for us on earth – because we do not know who will and who will not finally be parading around in Paradise. These prayers for the dead, therefore, are not negligible, they are necessary.

The second thought is about our pets going to heaven. And here I have to summon all my diplomatic skills because many people love their pets more than some of their family members. And if I say dogs do not go to heaven, then some people will assert that Fr. John will not go to heaven either. There is hope for our pets to be in Paradise because Rv 21:1 reads: “Then I saw a new heavens and a new earth.” So, why cannot your dog or cat be part of the “new earth”? But pets will not enjoy Paradise in the same way people do. Why not?

Well, because we do not baptize pets, and we do not give Holy Communion to pets, and we do not give the Last Rites to pets. There is a fundamental difference between people and pets and that will be reflected in Paradise. Brother Richard Sanker, who teaches at Catholic High School in Little Rock, captured this distinction well. He said: “If for you to be happy in heaven, you need your dog, then your dog will be in heaven.” Notice it is for your eternal happiness that pets are in heaven, not for theirs. Now all pet lovers will be surprised if I make it to heaven.

The third thought about the dead comes from a controversial book by Hans Urs Von Balthasar called “Dare We Hope All Men Be Saved.” Basically, Balthasar is inviting us to pray and hope that all people – absolutely all – will eventually be saved, meaning no one will end up in hell. After all, we read in 1 Tm 2:3-4, “This is good and pleasing to God our savior, who wills everyone to be saved and to come to knowledge of the truth.” Now when you hope and pray for something you do not know with absolute certainty that particular intention will happen.

For instance, before the Arkansas – Georgia football game we all hoped and prayed that the Razorbacks would defeat the Bulldogs. But that did not happen at all. Our prayer and hope for salvation is not based on skills and strength of Coach Pittman or KJ Jefferson, but on the love and grace of God the Father and his Son, Jesus. So we have higher hopes for better results at the Resurrection than we do on the gridiron. Thus we continue to hope and pray that all be saved because salvation lies more in God’s hands than in ours.

Let me leave you with this final thought. I love the old saying: “You know you’re getting old when you know more people in heaven than you do on earth.” When you look around, do you sometimes wonder: who are all these people? And then we ask: and where are my family and friends and pets I grew up with? And that is why we pray for our faithful departed on November 2, so that where they are, we, too, one day may be: parading in Paradise.

Praised be Jesus Christ!