Tuesday of the Thirty-Second Week in Ordinary Time

http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/110811.cfm


... the souls of the just are in the hand of God,

Pacific coast  sand dunes

and no torment shall touch them.
They seemed, in the view of the foolish, to be dead;
and their passing away was thought an affliction
and their going forth from us, utter destruction.
But they are in peace.


We often hear today's first reading from the Book of Wisdom during our funerals. It is a comforting message, as God and the human author surely intended. From ancient times  our memorial stones have read, "RIP," meaning, "Requiescat in Pace," or "Rest in Peace." 
During November the Church prays for our dead. This is the month of judgment; we remember that every human being, whether she knows it or not, whether he welcomes it or not, stands under judgment. But Christians never forget it. The justice of God is our hope and consolation; it is our rule and guide. 
Approaching the Last Judgment we look forward to That Day when the Lord will at last set things right. The proud and haughty will be thrown down; the poor and lowly will be lifted up. What a great day that will be! 
But it is also a Day of Dread for us, as we realize that many of us enjoy a disproportionate share of this world's goods. Most of it, of course,  we inherited as citizens of a powerful nation and, despite our piety, could not  disown. 
In this regard I recall the prophetic words of Zechariah, in Luke 1:

And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High;   for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways, to give knowledge of salvation to his people   by the forgiveness of their sins. 

Americans might have no "knowledge of salvation" except for the "forgiveness of their sins." Even during a great recession we enjoy securities and opportunities and pleasures denied to most of the earth's seven billion people. But we Christians cling to the promise of God's forgiveness of our sins. If I cannot feed the world's hungry I can at least do penance for my failure. If I cannot hire the jobless I can at least claim some share of guilt for myself. 
Even as Jesus would not defend himself against the charges brought against him, Christian penitents embrace the guilt of this world and beg for "knowledge of salvation... by the forgiveness of their sins." As this liturgical year ends and we enter a new season of hope, we own our sins and confidently await God's saving power.