Scripture Reading
John 11:25-26
Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?"
Reflection
All Souls Day is a day to hold the names of our beloved dead with tenderness and without pretending the grief is not real. Yet into that grief Jesus speaks His most audacious claim: death does not have the final word. He is the resurrection — not merely the one who teaches about it, but its very source. Those who have died in faith are not lost; they are held in the One who holds all things. Grieve, and yet not without hope.
Prayer for Today
Father, grant me gospel joy; help me to rejoice in Christ even as I grieve. Envelope me with the peace and comfort only you can provide. As the days move into months, may this burden lessen. As the months move to years, use me to encourage and bless someone else who must walk a similar path. Help me to point them to you as the God of all comfort. I know that you are always with me and that your love never ceases. Help me to find refuge in you and nowhere else.
Amen.