Death comes to us all.  Yesterday, Robin Williams died, the victim of an apparent suicide.  Depression can be a fatal disease.  This man who made so many of us laugh, who made us feel joy, even through our sadness, has passed into eternity.

God is the judge of each of us.  We cannot judge this man.  We can only pray for the repose of his soul.

Many people refer to the souls in Purgatory as the "poor souls." I hear that, and I think, no, not "poor souls," holy souls.  Yes, they need to make reparation for their sins, and, yes, they suffer, but their next stop is heaven.  They are not poor, they are rich!

Robin, you will be missed.  We will pray for you and for the other souls who have died.

I remember a story about St. Padre Pio.  He would often pray for his grandparents, that they might have a holy death.  They had died many years before he began this practice.  Think of what our prayers can do for our family members who have already died.  We might be blessing them through our prayers with the gift of a very holy death.  We won't know until we reach heaven, but we do know that we can pray for anyone who has ever died, at any time.

Read more at:  His Unending Love