Memory Eternal, Little Katie
Just about a week ago, our niece was born into
this world several months before her time. Unfortunately, her soul had passed a
couple of days before.
When the life of
someone who has lived a good many years, comes to an end, we all shed a tear for
the loss of someone who we will not have a chance to speak with again this side
of eternity. When that someone is a child, we wonder about all of the events of
their lives that we will not experience, and risk plunging into despair. God,
in his providence, allowed Katie's birth to occur on Pascha, the celebration of
the passing from death to life of our Lord and Savior. It is fitting because we
are reminded that Katie has now completed a race that we are all still running
in earnest. Where we aspire to be, she has arrived. When we need someone's
prayers, she is before the throne of God doing just that. Along with her
sibling and many cousins.
This points
us not to despair, but rather to hope, and to thankfulness. For during all of
the trials we will face in the many years ahead, there is yet one more person
praying for us. When we come the resurrection that is the hope of our faith, we
will at last have the longed for chance to meet Katie, along with all of the
other children in the family we have not really been able to meet. God's timing
is wonderful, because in this season we will sing, again and again, the great
Paschal hymn, "Christ is risen from the dead, trampling down death by death, and
bestowing life to those in the
grave."
Aionia Mneme. Memory
eternal.
Posted: Saturday - April 14, 2007 at 11:36 PM
