R1 Wisdom 3:1–9 | R2 Romans 5:5–11 | Gospel John 6:37–40
Dear friends in Christ, yesterday, we celebrated the Solemnity of All Saints. It was a day set aside to recognize and acknowledge all men and women, young and old, clergy and religious, single and married, boys and girls who are in the presence of God, in heaven. That is why they are referred to as THE CHURCH TRIUMPHANT. They are so numerous that the Litany of Saints or the Canon of Saints does not cover them – either as Servants of God, or Beatified or Canonized. Since they are in heaven already, they do not need our prayers. Rather, we are the ones always in need of their constant intercession.
Today, as the Church on earth, otherwise known as THE CHURCH MILITANT, we turn our attention to praying for the souls of all the faithful departed – some of whom are not yet in heaven, neither are they in hell. They are in purgatory, a place of final purification of any sin that made them not to merit heaven. Since, they are not yet in the Kingdom of God, they are otherwise known as the CHURCH SUFFERING.
A lot of us are often challenged about the concept of purgatory, arguing that it is never mentioned anywhere in the Bible. Yes, you are absolutely right. There is no word, explicitly written or typed as PURGATORY in the Bible. However, there are allusions or references in the Bible that encourage prayers for the dead (c/f 2 Mac. 12:38-46). If all the dead were in heaven, then why pray for them? This shows that there is a purgatory.
Besides, people’s spiritual experiences and apparitions from dead relatives and friends and their appeal for prayers or corporal works of mercy or to perform indulgences, substantiates the reality of purgatory. These prayers help a great deal in ameliorating their sufferings and hasten their passage into heaven.
The practice of praying for the dead was a practice started by St Odilo in 998 AD. St Odilo was the first Abbot of Cluny. Cluny is in the present day France. This monastic practice soon gained popularity and was adopted and practiced in parts of Europe and Latin America.
Against the backdrop of our prayers for the dead today, the readings reminds us that All Souls’ Day is not a day of despair, but of deep hope. It is a day that we look with faith beyond the grief of death and proclaim with confidence that “The souls of the just are in the hands of God, and no torment shall touch them”.
For this reason, Paul tells us in the second reading that there is reason to hope because “Hope does not disappoint us…” This is not a vague optimism. It is a hope grounded in Christ who conquered death in the tomb and rose from the dead. He is the first to rise from the dead. As Catholics, we are consoled by this faith because the resurrection of Jesus reminds us that death and physical separation is not the end of the story. Death does not have the last word.
In the Gospel, Jesus said that everyone who believes in him will have eternal life. When we lose someone so dear, the sorrow that weighs on our hearts can feel inconsolable. Every moment of their life seems to be replaying in our heads like a movie, and such memories bring renewed tears which are shed silently. Even Jesus wept at the tomb of his friend Lazarus. So, to grieve is not a sign of weak faith. Rather, it is the measure of our longing for the day when “God will wipe away every tear from our eyes.”
To all those who have lost loved ones recently, I say to you be consoled in knowing that the same Lord who has promised to raise them up on the last day, will fill our hearts with hope and we will see them again, face to face, in the light of His glory.
Hence, as a parish, after the 5:30pm Mass today, we will sit back and pray some additional prayers and light candles to remember our loved ones who have gone before us marked with the sign of faith. We are all encouraged to be present. It might also be the best time of healing for some people who have not really had time to process their grief and the loss of their loved ones. Come this evening and light a candle in their honor.
We pray that just as the prayers of the saints in heaven aid and support us, and just as we seek their intercession daily, our prayers also from earth will release a soul from purgatory today. Imagine if everyone present at this Mass says a brief prayer for a soul in purgatory, or does a simple act of charity or performs an act that brings full or partial indulgence. Imagine how many souls will be released into heaven today alone.
So, dear friends in Christ, let us help these suffering souls in whatever way that we can and the Lord in His infinite mercy will apply our sacrifices on their behalf and grant them entry into heaven.
+Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them.
May the souls of all the faithful departed through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.
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