The following is a selection of the readings that may be chosen for this day.
Wisdom 3:1-9
Psalm 23:1-3a, 3b-4, 5, 6
Romans 5:5-11 or Romans 6:3-9
John 6:37-40
All Souls’ Day, the memorial celebration that follows the Solemnity of All Saints, keeps our eyes fixed on those who have gone ahead of us in the ways of faith. Where All Saints’ Day celebrates the glory of those who have entered into the fullness of God’s kingdom, All Souls’ Day looks toward those in need of purification to make them ready for glory on their journey to Heaven. This speaks to the very heart of our Catholic faith in the Communion of Saints.
Every human being grieves the loss of loved ones. Even those with no religious belief have an interior desire for the presence of those who have been part of their lives. Memories are gathered in different ways – pictures, videos, home movies, recorded messages, letters, etc. Objects associated with the loved ones no longer living are held as “sentimental treasures” regardless of their material value. All of these are hints that awareness of the Communion of Saints is not far beneath the surface for people of any religious persuasion.
Relationships are always a two-way reality. Each unique person connects with every other person in a unique way. The call of relationship is a call to go outside of ourselves, to allow an exchange of persons whereby each of us gives and receives and discovers something “more” through the experience of the relationship. When this is lost or interrupted, we are confronted with a need to respond in some way. All Souls’ Day reminds us of the treasures that our faith offers in this regard.
A selection from the third chapter of the Book of Wisdom is often chosen for the first reading at funerals and is an option for today. It reminds us that there is a relationship of each soul with the Creator that continues beyond death. It also suggests the power of relationship with God through the transition from earthly life to eternity: “As gold in the furnace, he proved them, and as sacrificial offerings he took them to himself. In the time of their visitation, they shall shine, and shall dart about as sparks through stubble; they shall judge nations and rule over peoples, and the Lord shall be their King forever. Those who trust in him shall understand truth, and the faithful shall abide with him in love: because grace and mercy are with his holy ones, and his care is with his elect.” God’s continuing relationship with the souls entrusted to His hands means that we also can continue in our relationship with them.
We are called to pray for the souls of those who have entered the mystery of death. Earthly life is preparation for eternity, and the initial encounter with God that follows our earthly journey affords an opportunity for the purification needed to be able to live with God Who is utterly Holy, the eternal life that is promised to all open to Him.
The Tradition of the Church tells us that the “holy souls” are in need of our prayers because they can no longer pray for themselves. They are able to pray for us, just as they did when they lived with us. Relationships and our reaching out to one another continue in a new form. Prayer for the dead is an exercise of hope. As St. Paul tells us, “Hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.” We pray for one another and for those who have gone ahead of us because God’s love for us and for them continues to flow through us. Faith tells us that hope will reach its mark.
Jesus is the way, the truth and the life. Death loses its sting because of His Resurrection. Our capacity to live in the Communion of Saints is a hint of the greater experience of glory that will be ours when our earthly journey is completed. God will fulfill what He has begun in us. “For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in him may have eternal life, and I shall raise him on the last day.”
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