Glimpses of God’s Embrace
I recently wrote content for our All Souls bulletin for Divine Mercy Parish in Oakland as we entered November, to help parishioners reflect on remembering and praying for the departed during this time.
Thirty second Sunday in Ordinary Time.
Readings: Wisdom 3:1-9 | Roman 6:3-9 | John 6:37-40
Have you ever felt that longing for someone to understand you without needing to explain yourself? Sometimes, without many words, someone nourishes that longing. It may be through presence, through care, or through something as simple as a shared meal. Those are glimpses of God’s embrace: love that feeds both body and soul.
My grandmother passed in 2006, but I still meet Vietnamese people who remember how she made them feel. When she first came to the U.S. after the Vietnam War, she lived in an apartment building filled with other refugees. The air in those hallways was heavy with grief as many navigated life in a new land, an unfamiliar language, and strange food. So she cooked. Pots of fragrant broth simmered on her stove until the smell of star anise and fish sauce filled the hallways. And she invited her neighbors to share bowls of phở bò that tasted like home.
Even after she moved away, she kept cooking and welcoming others. I remember meeting new families whenever I visited her house. She opened her home, supported them in their transition, and gave them a sense of belonging at her table.
As I read this weekend’s Scripture readings, I think about her small acts of care. The Book of Wisdom reminds us that “the souls of the just are in the hand of God.” Death is not an end but a homecoming into God’s eternal embrace. In Romans, Saint Paul tells us that through baptism we are united with Christ’s death and resurrection to guide us to love as Christ loved: generously and with open hands. And in John’s Gospel, Jesus promises that “whoever comes to me I will never cast out.” He is the Bread of Life who welcomes and nourishes us, ensuring that nothing and no one is ever lost.
All together, these readings remind us that God’s love transforms everything it touches. Death becomes new life. Separation becomes reunion. Hunger becomes satisfaction.
As we remember our loved ones this All Souls weekend, we honor them not only with memory but by continuing the love they lived. My grandmother nourished others through food and welcome. I hope to continue her legacy (though probably not with phở bò - I could never measure up!). But each of us has our own way to offer nourishment. It may be through listening, kindness, presence, or prayer. When we care for one another, we let the love of those who came before us live on through us. That is God’s embrace in action.
Grandma and Me.
Learning her love at her table.