The most important event of the Church is that Christ was resurrected. Otherwise, If Jesus did not rise, we should not be here. After the Resurrection, Jesus showed himself for the third time to Simon Peter and even ate with the apostles. While they were still in disbelief, the fact remains, it did not end with death. There is life everlasting.

Hence as we continue our journey on earth, there are three things we can do:

1. Prayers. We pray for the eternal peace and rest of our loved ones. May the Lord be merciful in judging our loved ones. We also pray for ourselves in the goodbyes of life, because death leaves so much emotion behind.
2. Hope. Jesus being alive reminds us that life doesn’t end on Good Fridays. There will always be Easter Sundays in life. 
3. Moving Forward. While our loved ones are physically not with us anymore, all the memories will forever be in our hearts. 

During the novena Masses for the deceased we typically pray: “Lord help us to see death for what it really is”. Yes, goodbyes are very tough, as there will be bad days, and there will be days of confusion. Yet, we continue to pray, hope, and move forward, living a life that would make our loved ones proud.