THURSDAY NOVEMBER 2, 2023
THURSDAY OF THE THIRTIETH WEEK OF THE ORDINARY TIME OF THE YEAR A
COMMEMORATION OF ALL THE FAITHFUL DEPARTED.
Wisdom 3:1-9
Romans 5:5-11
John 6:37-40
“All that the Father gives me will come to me; and him who comes to me I will not cast out.”
The promises of Christ go beyond this earthly life. It is pointing more to the life to come, the eternal life with God. That is the greatest desire of Christ, that those who believe in him and walk in his ways will experience life eternal with the Triune God. This is the core of salvation preached and lived in Christ.
The desire of our God is that, no soul will be lost. God has put all measures to secure the safety, salvation and salvaging of all soul. The feast of the Departed souls is one other last ways, God’s mercy, love and means of saving soul is lived. And the Church recalls and celebrates the feast of all souls, availing us the opportunity to reflect on life and to offer our prayers, works of mercy, indulgences and mortification on behalf of the souls that have departed this world.
More importantly, the Church celebrates the feast of all departed souls of our brothers and sisters who have gone before us. The Church calls us to pray for them, to offer the sacrifice of the Mass, the sacrifice of Christ’s victory for their salvation. It is one of the ways we remember and help them to attain eternal blessedness.
It is also our way and means of keeping in union with all who have departed this earthly world. We hold dearly the doctrine of purgatory, whereby the souls that live in grace and in friendship with God, entertain final purification before they can attain eternal blessedness and reign in the courts of heaven with God the Father, and the Son and the Holy Spirit. As the catechism of the Catholic Church says, “Those who die in God’s grace and friendship, but still imperfectly purified, are indeed assured of their eternal salvation; but after death they undergo purification, so as to achieve the holiness necessary to enter the joy of heaven.” This final purification is called purgatory.
And for those living, we never cease to remember the dead and help their eternal salvation by offering the same sacrifice of Christ for their benefits. We also give alms, pray for them and make mortification for their intentions.
The book of Maccabees gives us the clue of keeping the dead in prayer, when offerings were raised and the money sent to Jerusalem for the sacrifice to be offered for the souls of the dead soldiers. Again, Job made sacrifices for the soul of his sons who died intending that by it their souls will find rest.
The Church encourages her faithful saying, “Let us help and commemorate them. If Job’s sons were purified by their father’s sacrifice, why would we doubt that our offerings for the dead bring them some consolation? Let us not hesitate to help those who have died and to offer our prayers for them. “
Heavenly Father, we beg you to forgive the sins of our departed dear ones, purify them of their failings and fault and admit them to the place of peace, happiness and rest through Christ our Lord.
Fr Norbert Uchuno
