More often than not, after someone’s death, we remember the good that person has done. Words of appreciation and praise are expressed in eulogies that follow, but why don’t we express them when the person is still alive? Should good words be said only after one’s death? Why not while the person is still alive and able to hear? Why don’t we show more attention and more love to those around us while they are still alive? I know of a case of a woman not in the Church who, when her husband died, was almost devastated. She only remembered how “good” he had been, how much she cared for him and how much she now misses him. Sometimes, when a loved one dies, we mainly have regrets and mostly remember the “good” the defunct had been. Regrets hurt and pull us down. We seem unable to forgive our faults. It seems to be too late. Actually, is it really too late? Is the damage irreparable? Christ answered that question. Read Matthew 25:31-46. He told His disciples that the ultimate reward is when we do good to others—to feed the hungry, to satisfy the thirsty, to clothe the naked, to provide shelter for the strangers, to visit the sick and those in prison. “Inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren,” Christ said, “you did it to Me.” In other words, even though one may not have the opportunity to go back in time and repair the damage done, we can always do good to someone who is in need and still alive. We can do the good to others—even to strangers—that we failed to do to someone who was close to us—dear to us. In other words, if you have failed to do good or to speak well of someone you love, it’s never too late. Turn to those who need your help and your love. Remember Christ’s words, “inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.”~ D. Apartian
