My wife's uncle, her mother's brotherin-law, passed away last week and we trekked to Sophia (pronounced Sophie), West Virginia for the viewing on Saturday. He'll be buried later this week in Alabama. While there we visited the graves of my mother-in-law's parents in Beckley. Her mother died young while in child birth. Her father many years later. It was a moving couple of days for her particularly but for the rest of us as well.
The death of loved ones is an occasion for deeper thought about lots of things. About how short life is, about how meaningless in the end are those things keeping families apart, about life after death, about heaven and hell.
We all want to believe that we will be with our loved ones again one day after they've passed. We want to believe that God, in his mercy and love, will bring that familial reconciliation to fruition. But, if we're human, we'll also confess to doubts. Doubts perhaps about the after life altogether. Doubts about where we'll end
All of which brought my wife and I tonight to talking about the after life, and hell in particular, as we walked the dog about the neighborhood.
As somewhat recent converts (ok, I'm actually a revert) to Catholicism, we're still learning about what the faith teaches about these things.
I had the opportunity to talk briefly about purgatory over the weekend with the in-laws and though I think I handled things fairly well, I quickly found myself somewhat over my head as to the topic.
What I hope with every fiber of my being is that I will make the cut. And of course, I hope the the same for my loved ones.
The doctrine of purgatory, of a place where the saved go to be purified before entering God's sacred and holy presence, I find to be a hopeful doctrine. For me... for my loved ones.
Yet, I can't help but wonder how heavenly heaven might be should I make that cut and my loved ones do not. It's a wondering that makes me yearn to learn more about all of this and... of course... to share what I've learned particularly with family and friends.
So tonight, I figured that Fr. Robert Barron would have something related to say, and so set out to find what that something might be. I found what follows and, frankly, find it to be most helpful and more importantly, most hopeful.
Watch it and see if you agree:
