“Adoration of the Trinity” by Albrecht Dürer (1471-1528)
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Friends, peace!
In early November, the church celebrated All Saints’ Day and the next day, and on a Sunday, All Souls’ Day. These special days honor those who have passed away before us, those with God in Heaven and those in their final purification in Purgatory, respectively. Priests everywhere surely talked of the next life and we likely considered our own deaths—and some priests may have even mentioned that we should be happy for those who have gone before us and are no longer with us. But how?
The book of Wisdom tells us how—and why:
“The souls of the just are in the hand of God,
and no torment shall touch them.
They seemed, in the view of [those without
faith], to be dead;
and their passing away was thought an affliction
and their going forth from us, utter destruction.
But they are in peace.
For if before men, indeed, they be punished,
yet is their hope full of immortality;
chastised a little, they shall be greatly blessed,
because God tried them
and found them worthy of himself.” (Wisdom chapter 3)
God is control even in bad times
We can also read this passage, and other similar ones, in view of ourselves still on this side of Heaven—those who follow Jesus, in good times and bad, are in “the hand of God;” He’s in control and we are His servants. Something St. Paul says about life during bad times is worth our reflection:
“What will separate us from the love of Christ? Will anguish, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or the sword?” (Romans chapter 8)
Nothing, and no, he answers:
“For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor present things, nor future things, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans chapter 8)
And so, we shouldn’t fear death, or suffering in this life—God is with us and we are with God. Truly nothing separates us from God.
Looking to Bethlehem for inspiration
The experience of Mary and Joseph around Jesus’ birth is a perfect example. Scripture tells us that there was “no room” as Mary and Joseph tried to find a place to stay in Bethlehem; The Holy family had traveled there from Nazareth because the government called a census (Gospel of Luke chapter 2). The Hispanic Christmas tradition of “Las Posadas” describes this experience of Mary and Joseph as they’d go from door to door asking for “posada,” or “lodging” in English, and at each stop they are refused (Farfaglia). The historic Novena to the Divine Infant of Prague leading up to Christmas/the 25th of each month also describes their experience, their “sorrow…when they found no place…to shelter themselves when the Savior of the world was born.” After Jesus is born, in a cave, we can imagine that they understand that since they are with God, Jesus, despite their “sorrow,” in reality nothing can be more important.
The need for trust in God in our faith life
The Lord to St. Faustina talks of the need for trust in our faith life:
“The graces of My mercy are drawn by means of one vessel only, and that is — trust. The more a soul trusts, the more it will receive.” (Diary #1578)
Carrying our cross definitely isn’t easy, but trust in God and His control lightens the burden.
Man since his fall in the Garden of Eden unfortunately is subject to death and suffering; it is inescapable. God, Jesus, in His mercy, however, comes to rescue us and shows us the way—the Cross, death, and resurrection. He says:
“No disciple is above his teacher, no slave above his master. It is enough for the disciple that he become like his teacher, for the slave that he become like his master.” (Gospel of Matthew chapter 10)
The psalmist comforts us, and confirms this way for us:
“Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death [of great suffering], I will fear no evil, for you are with me” (Psalm 23)
God can make us Holy in challenging times, but we should seek indulgences
We should also consider another passage that prophesies about the time of the Messiah, Jesus, from Isaiah:
“Every valley shall be filled in, every mountain and hill shall be made low; The rugged land shall be made a plain, the rough country, a broad valley. Then the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all people shall see it together; for the mouth of the LORD has spoken.” (Chapter 40)
The Lord in his providence and wisdom forms us into His image and likeness, which in each of us became distorted because of the fall of man, because of original sin. This means some of us are brought down (“…mountain[s] and hill[s]…made low…”), and some of us are raised to the dignity of creatures of God (“…valley[s]…filled in…”). It can be painful and disruptive, but we can trust Jesus the Good Shepherd who out of love and care even “lays down his life for the sheep” (Gospel of John chapter 10).
Jesus: “become like children”
Our humility before our sufferings and crosses is actually very holy and the right path. At the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem, the site marking the place of Jesus’ birth, this concept is shown to us: the entrance is very small and one must crouch down to enter. One must make oneself “little” to enter, similar to how Jesus tells us that it’s important that we “become like children” (Gospel of Matthew chapter 18). And children of course are obedient, trusting, and dependent.
Entrance to Church of the Nativity, Bethlehem
Church of the Nativity, Bethlehem
Spot Marking Jesus’ Birth, Inside Church
Hillsong United has a heavenly song about our redemption in God, “Clean”; here’s a verse, which is a sort-of prayer about walking in joy as we walk toward the fullness of our life with God:
“Purify my heart in Your presence. Teach me to discover the joy
of holiness that forms as You draw me close. In You what was lost is restored”
Even though our sufferings can make us Holy, we should absolutely seek plenary indulgences the Church offers, another of form of God’s mercy won through Jesus’ passion. Our crosses and sufferings definitely purify us in this life, but the plenary indulgence takes some of the weight off by, in the best case, removing all consequences of our sin (this is a challenging topic, but though Confession restores our friendship with God and puts us back on course for heaven, we still must face certain “punishment” for our sins as the Catechism shares in entry 1472). So the Church in her wisdom and mission gives us many opportunities to gain these indulgences, as I’ve shared in a guide here, like by praying the Rosary at a church, in a family, or in a group gathered for good purpose; 30 minutes of Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament; completing the Stations of the Cross; or visiting a Minor Basilica on a day of your choosing, once a year. Special indulgences are also granted during the 2025 Jubilee Year for: pilgrimages, including to Rome, the Holy Land, and other designated sites (most Dioceses have designated special sites), that include Mass, the Rosary, Stations of the Cross, or other designated activities (feel free to review the full document from the Vatican); visits to the Jubilee Sites for Adoration, ending with the Our Father, a Creed (either one), and prayers to Mary; works of Mercy and penance, like the traditional corporal and spiritual works of mercy (feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, visiting the prisoner, counseling the doubtful, teaching the ignorant, etc.), monetarily supporting different religious and social works, visiting the vulnerable or those in need (including the sick and elderly) taking up a penance (like fasting from social media one day of a week), or a traditional fast like that done on Good Friday. Those unable to make pilgrimages can also obtain the indulgence by uniting themselves spiritually with those partaking in person, saying an Our Father, a creed, and other prayers. Besides these activities, which you should complete knowing beforehand that they are to gain an indulgence, you should receive Communion within 20 days, before or after, and if necessary, have gone to Confession within 20 days, before or after, and pray one Our Father and one Hail Mary for the Pope’s intentions. You can use one Confession for multiple indulgences, but each Indulgence requires a separate Communion. And of course, you can either seek the indulgence for yourself or for someone who has passed away (it is common to offer indulgences for the souls of purgatory).
Our Crosses sometimes also benefit others
Nevertheless, as followers of Jesus, as members of His body, we participate with Him in His work of redeeming the world. As He came to save us and others from sin and death, our sufferings sometimes are because we too come into contact with these painful realities; we may even be carrying one another’s spiritual burdens (like in Galatians chapter 6, and as I’ve written about here).
By following the Lord and carrying our Cross, we fulfill God’s will for us and walk to our new life, life with God, even in this life. We rest in the “hand of God,” even if those who have no faith misunderstand us:
The Lord in the Eucharist is a model of this for us: He offers Himself as a sacrifice on our altars for our benefit. Bishop Andrew Cozzens of Minnesota, the leader of the US National Eucharistic Revival which took place from 2022-2025, tells us that we too as Christians should become like the Lord in the Eucharist: “broken for the life of the word.”(CITATION)
From The Last Supper by Juan de Juanes (1507-1579)
“They seemed, in the view of [those without faith], to be dead;
and their passing away was thought an affliction
and their going forth from us, utter destruction.
But they are in peace.” (Wisdom chapter 3)
The Saints also invite us to look toward heaven
St. Paul continues to guide us:
“I consider that the sufferings of this present time are as nothing compared with the glory to be revealed for us.” (Romans chapter 8)
And as the hymn goes:
“Eye has not seen, ear has not heard, what God has ready for those who love him…” (Haugen)
Family, let us consider, through good times and bad, the glory that awaits us in the Lord in this life, and in heaven. And let us not fear death or suffering.
Family, our lives, in good times and bad, and even, and especially, when we pass away, are in the hand of God. We are invited to this peace, that God is with us always, and nothing—not suffering or death—separates us from God and His love, and Jesus Himself and the Saints have shown us the way. God has His plan for us and our lives, especially for our holiness and others’, but indulgences do help relieve some of our burdens. Let us consider always the glory and holiness that await us in this life, and in the next in Heaven.
May God bless us,
Juan B
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Citations:
A Christmas Carol. Directed by Clive Donner. 20th Century Fox, 1984.
Farfaglia, Fr. James, “Las Posadas – a Catholic Hispanic Tradition”, https://www.catholic.org/news/hf/faith/story.php?id=48757. Accessed 3 Dec 2025
Haugen, Marty. “Eye Has Not Seen.” GIA Publications, Inc., 1982.
Kowalska, St. Maria Faustina (1981). Diary: Divine Mercy in My Soul. Marian Press.
Image credits
1 – Public Domain
2 – See The Holy Land.net, https://www.seetheholyland.net/church-of-the-nativity/ Accessed 21 Nov 2025
3 – See The Holy Land.net, https://www.seetheholyland.net/grotto-of-the-nativity/grotto-of-the-nativity-8/ Accessed 9 Dec 2025
4 – See The Holy Land.net, https://www.seetheholyland.net/grotto-of-the-nativity/grotto-of-the-nativity-11/ Accessed 21 Nov 2025
3 – Public Domain
4 – Public Domain
5 – Public Domain, from https://www.dailyartmagazine.com/prodigal-son-art/ Accessed 1 Apr 2025
6/7 – St. John Lateran – from Civitavecchia Port website https://civitavecchia.portmobility.it/en/basilica-saint-john-lateran Accessed 1 Apr 2025
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