Our reverence for the deceased becomes personal when we recognize that we too will face the same reality one day. We often do not think about death, aswe only attend others’ funerals. However, the reality of death can provide significant meaning to our lives: influencing the way we think, the choices we make, the priorities we set, and the goals we strive for. In this regard, reading

Ecclesiastes 12:1-7 serves as a meaningful text for meditation. For Qoheleth (the preacher) appeals: “Remember your Creator…before the silver cord is snapped, or the golden bowl is broken, or the pitcher is broken at the fountain, or the wheel broken at the cistern, and the dust returns to the earth as it was, and the spirit returns to God who gave it.” The thought of death has influenced many saints, philosophers and ordinary people to prioritize their lives and even change the course of their behavior.

The mystery of death transformed Prince Siddhartha into Sri Buddha and the thief Ratnakara into Sage Valmiki. In the Gospel of Luke we find Jesus calling a man a “fool” for believing that by building bigger barns he would secure his life (cf. Luke 12:13-21). In contrast, there is Joseph of Arimathea who, we are told, had an empty tomb in his garden (cf. Matt. 27:60). Perhaps the empty tomb served as a reminder to him of his destiny.