Let the Dead bury the Dead

Closure isn't everything. Our Lord tells that to a disciple who wants to follow Him to Jerusalem, but first bury his dead father. Christ responds by saying... "Follow Me, let the dead bury the dead." And "preach the kingdom of Heaven." This must have been hard to hear.

A man sees it as his duty to bury people, most of all, his father. Its a corporal work of mercy, even. However, Our Lord knows this man's heart. He knows he is sad. He knows he wants to have peace. He knows he wants this chapter in his life to end "And my father died, and like a good son I buried him, and like a good father, he left me my inheritance." But sometimes God doesn't want that. God wants Himself to be only what we inherit. We might say we are ready to follow God with our voice, but in our heart, we don't want to forfeit the goods that shoulda, woulda, coulda been.

God may ask us to have chapters end in the middle of a sentence, right as things were getting juicy. We can't look back or hope and wish there was more! He wants us to trust in Him more than anyone or anything. He wants us to know that while we can grieve for losses, we have to get up immediately and move on, looking forward only, because there is precious little time. He knows we want peace of mind, but we will not have it until God's will is done.

Let the dead bury the dead is not practical. It cannot even happen, I'm pretty sure. So when Jesus says this to us, we have to hold back that thought "Really, Jesus? Are You really going to expect me to just be miserable. Are You really going to let these loose ends be left untide? Instead, replace these thoughts with the prayer "My Dear Lord, I might be a wreck. Vivify me, self pity and moping is not for me. You know what I want. You know what I need. If what I want is not what You want, allow me to accept that. Please let chapters in my life close when they need to. Only the spiritually dead are concerned about everything ending with a pretty pink bow. Please, don't let me be one of them. Amen.

Obviously the question isn't whether the father gets in the ground! Let the dead bury the dead. It might be the hardest thing that we have to do, but we don't have to do it alone!

Through the Sacred Heart of Jesus,
St. Mary Margaret Alacoque, pray for us!