As we face the prospect of death either in the foreseeable or in the distant future, faith in Jesus is our abiding hope and eternal salvation. The readings today certainly give us hope. They assure us that death does not have the final word on our lives. And they teach us that when things look bleak and we feel trapped and when we have reached a dead end, God can open the way. They also remind us that if we trust in the Lord, and place our lives in his hands, we will always have a grace-filled outcome, even if it takes a while to unfold and to understand. Our faith gives us hope that the best is yet to come.