Saint Gertrude Parish - Lasne

Brothers and sisters, the mystery of death has always stirred profound questions in humankind. It appears as the most natural and, at the same time, the most supernatural event that exists. Many ancient peoples developed rites and customs related to the worship of the dead to accompany and remember those who were passing into the ultimate mystery. Only human beings ask themselves questions about death because only they know that they must die. Saint Alphonsus Liguori, in his famous work *Preparation for Death*, reflects on the pedagogical value of death, showing how it is a teacher of life. Knowing that death exists teaches us to choose what we want to do with our lives. The event of Christ's Resurrection reveals that death is not opposed to life, but is part of it, a passage to eternal life. The Passover of Jesus gives us a foretaste of the fullness that will come after death. Death is not the end, but the passage to the full light, to blessed eternity.