The following piece was first written for the November 8, 2026 pew sheet at St Augustine’s Anglican Church. I share it here again in the hope that it may continue to encourage and bless.
As we move towards the end of the Season of Ordinary Time, we are also approaching the conclusion of the Church’s liturgical year. Throughout this season, we have been reflecting on what it means to live as followers of Jesus Christ, growing in faith, serving one another and bearing witness to the gospel in our everyday lives. As the season draws to a close, our attention turns naturally towards the hope that sustains us as Christians: the hope of resurrection and eternal life.
The Christian faith is founded on the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. His resurrection is not simply an event we remember, but the foundation of our hope and the promise of our future. It assures us that death does not have the final word, that suffering and sorrow will not last forever, and that those who belong to Christ have the promise of eternal life with him.
Our readings this Sunday help us to reflect on this wonderful hope. In Psalm 16:8–11, the psalmist expresses confidence in God’s presence and faithfulness, declaring that God will not abandon him to the realm of the dead. He rejoices in the assurance of God’s presence and the joy found in him. These words point us towards the resurrection hope ultimately fulfilled in Jesus Christ.
In 1 Thessalonians 4:13–18, Paul encourages believers not to grieve like those who have no hope. He reminds them that because Jesus died and rose again, those who have died in Christ will also be raised. At Christ’s return, all who belong to him, both the living and the dead, will be gathered together to be with the Lord forever. What a wonderful assurance!
In John 11:17–27, Jesus declares to Martha, who is grieving the death of her brother Lazarus: “I am the resurrection and the life.” Jesus does not merely promise resurrection; he himself is the source of life and the one in whom our hope rests.
As we approach the end of the Church year, may we be encouraged to live with confidence, faith and hope, knowing that neither death nor anything else can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus.
Let us pray:
Almighty God, you are the source of life and our eternal hope. Through the death and resurrection of your Son, Jesus Christ, you have conquered sin and death and opened for us the way to eternal life. Strengthen our faith, comfort us in our sorrow, and help us to live in the sure hope of the resurrection; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Photo: Golden Sunset at O'Sullivan Beach – photograph by Deo Vistar, O'Sullivan Beach, South Australia.
