Death as the path home

December 7, 2020 in Featured News, Featured Videos, News

‘Death as Joyous Homecoming’ is the title of the third talk given by Brian Grogan SJ as part of the Knock Shrine series on death and the afterlife, live-streamed every Wednesday in November, the month of the dead. The talks are all centered on the theme of life after death, the possibility of it, and what we might dare say about it.

This talk was broadcast on Wednesday 18 November and in it, Brian explores the gospel resurrection texts and the stories of the encounters various people had with the risen Christ.

He looks at these stories to pull from them what people might reasonably expect the next life to be like, given that Christians believe it will indeed be an eternal encounter with Jesus.

Mary, Thomas,  Simon Peter at the lakeside, the disciples on the road to Emmaus, all these stories give us a symbolic glimpse into the heavenly state as it were, according to Brian who concludes that one thing we can say for sure is that it will certainly not be one of restlessness or fear. We will be called by name he says, just as Mary was named by Jesus in the garden where his tomb was. “Our names will be spoken in love and we will, as Mary did, recognise Christ when he speaks.”

You can watch the video above, and you can download Brian’s notes here ».

Brian says he hopes that his conversational contribution to reflecting on the Christian vision of life after death will be helpful to all those who view the videos or read his notes.   He says that such reflection might enrich this month of November for people in Knock and elsewhere who are remembering loved ones who have died or are simply thinking about their own death one day.

Brian’s final talk will be broadcast on Wednesday 25 November, live-streamed from Knock, and is entitled ‘God’s Great Project for the World’.