A word of Consolation
If a tiny baby could think, it would be afraid of birth. To leave the only world it has known would seem a kind of death. But immediately after birth the child would find itself in loving arms, showered with affection and cared for at every moment. Surely the baby would say, "I was foolish to doubt God's Plan for me. This is a beautiful life."
For the Christian, passing through death is really a birth into a new and better world. Those who are left behind should not grieve as if there were no hope. Life is changed, not taken away. Our dear ones live on, in a world beautiful beyond anything we can imagine. With Jesus and Mary they await the day when they will welcome us with joy.
"Do not grieve too much," they say to us. "We are living and are still with you."