Life is a journey and very few people go through life without encountering some problems and hardships. Probably nobody is spared. Matthew gives us Jesus' most reassuring phrase 'Come to me, all you who labour and are overburdened and I will give you rest'. As we contemplate the lives of the people who have died and gone before us, we know that they have experienced many trials and tribulations. However, we can be assured that if they have followed Jesus faithfully then they have found peace and rest. Similarly if we truly trust in God and follow His ways we can hope to experience great happiness when we are united forever with Jesus.

We know that all human beings are destined for death, but because we are followers of Jesus we hope to rise again after death just as He has done. This is difficult to comprehend. However, in the Gospel, it seems that God is asking us to become just like children, for if we are humble and trusting we know that God can do anything and so it would certainly be possible for us as well as our ancestors to be raised up from the dead just as Jesus was.