The Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed (All Souls)
Lectionary: 668
Lectionary: 668
The following are a selection of the readings that may be chosen for this day.
The souls of the
just are in the hand of God,
and no torment shall touch them.
They seemed, in the view of the foolish, to be dead;
and their passing away was thought an affliction
and their going forth from us, utter destruction.
But they are in peace.
For if before men, indeed, they be punished,
yet is their hope full of immortality;
chastised a little, they shall be greatly blessed,
because God tried them
and found them worthy of himself.
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.
and no torment shall touch them.
They seemed, in the view of the foolish, to be dead;
and their passing away was thought an affliction
and their going forth from us, utter destruction.
But they are in peace.
For if before men, indeed, they be punished,
yet is their hope full of immortality;
chastised a little, they shall be greatly blessed,
because God tried them
and found them worthy of himself.
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.
R. (1) The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall
want.
or:
R. Though I walk in the valley of darkness, I fear no evil, for you are with me.
The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
In verdant pastures he gives me repose;
beside restful waters he leads me;
he refreshes my soul.
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
or:
R. Though I walk in the valley of darkness, I fear no evil, for you are with me.
He guides me in right paths
for his name’s sake.
Even though I walk in the dark valley
I fear no evil; for you are at my side
with your rod and your staff
that give me courage.
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
or:
R. Though I walk in the valley of darkness, I fear no evil, for you are with me.
You spread the table before me
in the sight of my foes;
You anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
or:
R. Though I walk in the valley of darkness, I fear no evil, for you are with me.
Only goodness and kindness follow me
all the days of my life;
and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD
for years to come.
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
or:
R. Though I walk in the valley of darkness, I fear no evil, for you are with me.
or:
R. Though I walk in the valley of darkness, I fear no evil, for you are with me.
The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
In verdant pastures he gives me repose;
beside restful waters he leads me;
he refreshes my soul.
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
or:
R. Though I walk in the valley of darkness, I fear no evil, for you are with me.
He guides me in right paths
for his name’s sake.
Even though I walk in the dark valley
I fear no evil; for you are at my side
with your rod and your staff
that give me courage.
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
or:
R. Though I walk in the valley of darkness, I fear no evil, for you are with me.
You spread the table before me
in the sight of my foes;
You anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
or:
R. Though I walk in the valley of darkness, I fear no evil, for you are with me.
Only goodness and kindness follow me
all the days of my life;
and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD
for years to come.
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
or:
R. Though I walk in the valley of darkness, I fear no evil, for you are with me.
Brothers and
sisters:
Hope does not disappoint,
because the love of God has been poured out into our hearts
through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us.
For Christ, while we were still helpless,
died at the appointed time for the ungodly.
Indeed, only with difficulty does one die for a just person,
though perhaps for a good person
one might even find courage to die.
But God proves his love for us
in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us.
How much more then, since we are now justified by his Blood,
will we be saved through him from the wrath.
Indeed, if, while we were enemies,
we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son,
how much more, once reconciled,
will we be saved by his life.
Not only that,
but we also boast of God through our Lord Jesus Christ,
through whom we have now received reconciliation.
Hope does not disappoint,
because the love of God has been poured out into our hearts
through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us.
For Christ, while we were still helpless,
died at the appointed time for the ungodly.
Indeed, only with difficulty does one die for a just person,
though perhaps for a good person
one might even find courage to die.
But God proves his love for us
in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us.
How much more then, since we are now justified by his Blood,
will we be saved through him from the wrath.
Indeed, if, while we were enemies,
we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son,
how much more, once reconciled,
will we be saved by his life.
Not only that,
but we also boast of God through our Lord Jesus Christ,
through whom we have now received reconciliation.
Brothers and
sisters:
Are you unaware that we who were baptized into Christ Jesus
were baptized into his death?
We were indeed buried with him through baptism into death,
so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead
by the glory of the Father,
we too might live in newness of life.
For if we have grown into union with him through a death like his,
we shall also be united with him in the resurrection.
We know that our old self was crucified with him,
so that our sinful body might be done away with,
that we might no longer be in slavery to sin.
For a dead person has been absolved from sin.
If, then, we have died with Christ,
we believe that we shall also live with him.
We know that Christ, raised from the dead, dies no more;
death no longer has power over him.
Are you unaware that we who were baptized into Christ Jesus
were baptized into his death?
We were indeed buried with him through baptism into death,
so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead
by the glory of the Father,
we too might live in newness of life.
For if we have grown into union with him through a death like his,
we shall also be united with him in the resurrection.
We know that our old self was crucified with him,
so that our sinful body might be done away with,
that we might no longer be in slavery to sin.
For a dead person has been absolved from sin.
If, then, we have died with Christ,
we believe that we shall also live with him.
We know that Christ, raised from the dead, dies no more;
death no longer has power over him.
Jesus said to the
crowds:
“Everything that the Father gives me will come to me,
and I will not reject anyone who comes to me,
because I came down from heaven not to do my own will
but the will of the one who sent me.
And this is the will of the one who sent me,
that I should not lose anything of what he gave me,
but that I should raise it on the last day.
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.”
“Everything that the Father gives me will come to me,
and I will not reject anyone who comes to me,
because I came down from heaven not to do my own will
but the will of the one who sent me.
And this is the will of the one who sent me,
that I should not lose anything of what he gave me,
but that I should raise it on the last day.
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.”
Scripture Study
November 2, 2014
Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed
Today the Church
celebrates the Feast of All Souls, also called the Commemoration of All the
Faithful Departed as it does every year on November 2. As a result we (St.
Raymond Parish, Dublin, CA) are celebrating the Feast of All Souls for all
weekend masses. 'The obligation to celebrate All Saints is dispensed for
Saturday, but we will use the All Saints readings at the Saturday morning
liturgy.
As Christians we believe that life is not ended at the moment of death but merely changed. We believe that our relationship with Christ, the Lord, and the Father Who sent Him to us continues even after death. The point to this celebration of All Souls is two fold: Firstly, we need to keep aware of our own mortality and what it really means in terms of eternity and secondly, we take the opportunity to commend our departed relatives and friends to God and invoke the Lord's mercy upon them.
As Christians we believe that life is not ended at the moment of death but merely changed. We believe that our relationship with Christ, the Lord, and the Father Who sent Him to us continues even after death. The point to this celebration of All Souls is two fold: Firstly, we need to keep aware of our own mortality and what it really means in terms of eternity and secondly, we take the opportunity to commend our departed relatives and friends to God and invoke the Lord's mercy upon them.
First Reading:
Wisdom 3:1-9
1The souls of the
just are in the hand of God, and no torment shall touch them.
2 They seemed, in the view of the foolish, to be dead; and their passing away was thought an affliction
3 and their going forth from us, utter destruction. But they are in peace.
2 They seemed, in the view of the foolish, to be dead; and their passing away was thought an affliction
3 and their going forth from us, utter destruction. But they are in peace.
4For if before men,
indeed, they be punished, yet is their hope full of immortality;
5 Chastised a little, they shall be greatly blessed, because God tried them and found them worthy of himself.
6 As gold in the furnace, he proved them, and as sacrificial offerings he took them to himself.
5 Chastised a little, they shall be greatly blessed, because God tried them and found them worthy of himself.
6 As gold in the furnace, he proved them, and as sacrificial offerings he took them to himself.
7In the time of
their visitation they shall shine, and shall dart about as sparks through
stubble;
8 They shall judge nations and rule over peoples, and the LORD shall be their King forever.
9 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 the elect.
8 They shall judge nations and rule over peoples, and the LORD shall be their King forever.
9 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 the elect.
NOTES on First
Reading:
* 3:1-12 This section
deals with the idea of the suffering of the just. The writer holds that
although the just seem to have died, in fact, they are alive with God. The
suffering that appeared to many to be punishment was actually a form of
education and a means of perfection.
* 3:1-8 The early
church often applied these verses to the martyrs and later to all the
righteous.
* 3:1 'In the hand of
God' means 'under God's protection.'
* 3:2 Affliction
refers to Isaiah 53:4.
* 3:3 Peace refers to
Isaiah 57:1-2.
* 3:4 This is the
first use of the word, immortality, in the Old Testament.
* 3:6 Offerings here
is intended to invoke the image of the holocaust offerings in which the victim
is completely consumed by fire. See Isaiah 53:7-10.
* 3:7 Visitation was
often used to mean God's intervention. (Same word is used in Isaiah 10:3) Here
it refers to God's loving judgment of those who have been faithful to him but
later in Wisdom 14:11 the same word is used to refer to the punishment of the
wicked at God’s final judgment. See also Wisdom 3:13.
* 3:7-9 The language of
these verses is meant to indicate eventual vindication and approval of the
righteous by God.
Second Reading:
Romans 5:5-11
5Hope does not
disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out into our hearts through
the holy Spirit that has been given to us.
6For Christ, while
we were still helpless, yet died at the appointed time for the ungodly.
7Indeed, only with
difficulty does one die for a just person, though perhaps for a good person one
might even find courage to die.
8But God proves his
love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us.
9How much more
then, since we are now justified by his blood, will we be saved through him
from the wrath.
10Indeed, if, while
we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son, how
much more, once reconciled, will we be saved by his life.
11Not only that,
but we also boast of God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have
now received reconciliation.
NOTES on Second
Reading:
* 5, 1-11: Popular
piety frequently construed reverses and troubles as punishment for sin; cf Jn
9,2. Paul therefore assures believers that God’s justifying action in Jesus
Christ is a declaration of peace. The crucifixion of Jesus Christ displays
God’s initiative in certifying humanity for unimpeded access into the divine
presence. Reconciliation is God’s gift of pardon to the entire human race.
Through faith, one benefits personally from this pardon or, in Paul’s term, is
justified. The ultimate aim of God is to liberate believers from the pre-Christian
self as described in chs 1-3. Since this liberation will first find completion
in the believer’s resurrection, salvation is described as future in 5. 10.
Because this fullness of salvation belongs to the future it is called the
Christian hope. Paul’s Greek term for hope does not, however, suggest a note of
uncertainty, to the effect: “I wonder whether God really means it.”
Rather, God’s promise in the gospel fills believers with expectation and anticipation for the climactic gift of unalloyed commitment in the holy Spirit to the performance of the will of God. The persecutions that attend Christian commitment are to teach believers patience and to strengthen this hope, which will not disappoint them because the holy Spirit dwells in their hearts and imbues them with God’s love ( 5 ) .
Rather, God’s promise in the gospel fills believers with expectation and anticipation for the climactic gift of unalloyed commitment in the holy Spirit to the performance of the will of God. The persecutions that attend Christian commitment are to teach believers patience and to strengthen this hope, which will not disappoint them because the holy Spirit dwells in their hearts and imbues them with God’s love ( 5 ) .
* 5, 7: In the world
of Paul's time the good person is especially one who is
magnanimous to others.
OR
Second Reading:
Romans 6:3-9
3Or are you unaware
that we who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?
4We were indeed buried with him through baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might live in newness of life.
4We were indeed buried with him through baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might live in newness of life.
5For if we have
grown into union with him through a death like his, we shall also be united
with him in the resurrection.
6We know that our old self was crucified with him, so that our sinful body might be done away with, that we might no longer be in slavery to sin.
7For a dead person has been absolved from sin.
8If, then, we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him.
6We know that our old self was crucified with him, so that our sinful body might be done away with, that we might no longer be in slavery to sin.
7For a dead person has been absolved from sin.
8If, then, we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him.
9We know that
Christ, raised from the dead, dies no more; death no longer has power over him.
NOTES on Second
Reading:
* 6, 1-11: To defend
the gospel against the charge that is promotes moral laxity (cf 5, 508), Paul
expresses himself in the typical style of spirited diatribe. God's display of
generosity of grace is not evoked by sin but, as stated in 5, 8, is the
expression of God's love, and this love pledges eternal life to all believers
(5, 21). Paul views the present conduct of the believers from the perspective
of God's completed salvation when the body is resurrected and directed totally
by the holy Spirit. Through baptism believers share the death of Christ and
thereby escape from the grip of sin. Through the resurrection of Christ the
power to live anew becomes reality for them, but the fullness of participation
in Christ's resurrection still lies in the future. But life that is lived in
dedication to God now is part and parcel of that future. Hence anyone who
sincerely claims to be interested in that future will scarcely be able to say,
'Let us sin so that grace may prosper' (cf 1).
* 6:3 The rhetorical
question introduces the idea that the readers should already know this basic tenet
of the apostolic teaching. Paul refers to Christian baptism in which the
imagery is most easily understood in terms of immersion but it is not certain
that early Christian practice always involved immersion.* 6:3 The rhetorical
question introduces the idea that the readers should already know this basic
tenet of the apostolic teaching. Paul refers to Christian baptism in which the
imagery is most easily understood in terms of immersion but it is not certain
that early Christian practice always involved immersion.
Paul's language, however, involves far more than just an image or use of bookkeeping terms. For Paul, baptism was the introduction of the believer into a new relationship with Christ, involving a union with Christ's suffering and dying. Paul emphasis that the Christian is not simply united with Christ Who won the victory over sin and death but rather he/she is united with Him in the very act by which He won that victory. Thus a believer is dead to sin, having become associated with Christ at the very time in which Jesus formally becomes the Savior.
Paul's language, however, involves far more than just an image or use of bookkeeping terms. For Paul, baptism was the introduction of the believer into a new relationship with Christ, involving a union with Christ's suffering and dying. Paul emphasis that the Christian is not simply united with Christ Who won the victory over sin and death but rather he/she is united with Him in the very act by which He won that victory. Thus a believer is dead to sin, having become associated with Christ at the very time in which Jesus formally becomes the Savior.
* 6:4 The resurrection
is ascribed to the Father and specifically to the Father's glory. To some
extent this parallel the Old Testament miracles of the Exodus (15:7,11;
16:7,10) which were ascribed to Yahweh's “Glory” (kabod). Later Paul seems to
indicate a role for the Holy Spirit in the resurrection event (Rom 8:11).
* 6:5-8 These verses
say about the baptized Christian what Paul will say about Christ in Verses
9-10.
* 6:6 It is not only
the material body as distinguished from the soul that is referred to here as
being crucified with Christ but rather the whole of an earthly being dominated
by a proneness to sin.
* 6:8 We believe
because this new life can not be known by the senses.
* 6:9 There is a profound
difference between the previous life which Jesus had and the new life He has
after the resurrection. The same spirit or life giving principle will also
provide new life to believers.
Gospel Reading:
John 6:37-40
37Everything that
the Father gives me will come to me, and I will not reject anyone who comes to
me,
38 because I came down from heaven not to do my own will but the will of the one who sent me.
38 because I came down from heaven not to do my own will but the will of the one who sent me.
39And this is the
will of the one who sent me, that I should not lose anything of what he gave
me, but that I should raise it (on) the last day.
40For 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.
NOTES on Gospel:
* 6:37 Bede, the
Venerable said of this verse: ” All, He said, absolutely, to show the fullness
of the number who should believe. These are they which the Father gives the
Son, when, by His secret inspiration, He makes them believe in the Son.” Thus
we do not come to Jesus of ourselves but rather we are drawn to him by the
Father. This statement may be intended, at least, in part to contrast with the
Jewish decision to drive out those of their number who accept Jesus (9:34-35).
* 6:38 Jesus'
dedication to following the will of the Father is a primary theme of the gospel
tradition.
* 6:39 Jesus accepts
us as gifts to Him from the Father and will preserve us and safeguard us until
He presents us back to the Father after lifting us up on the last day. This
thinking is hinted at in the statement of 1Cor 15:24.
* 6:40 This verse may
be an editorial expansion intended to harmonize the ideas of “having” eternal
life now and yet “being raised” on the last day (John 5). This was a difficult
pair of ideas to grasp for many in the ancient world.
Meditation: "Every one who believes in
him will be raised up at the last day"
Is your hope in this
present life only? What about the life to come after our physical death? God
puts in the heart of every living person the desire for unending life and
happiness. While physical death claims each of us at the appointed time, God
gives us something which death cannot touch - his own divine life and
sustaining power.
God does not
abandon us to the realm of the dead
One of the greatest examples of faith and hope in everlasting life with God is the testimony of Job in the Old Testament. God allowed Job to be tested through great trial and suffering. In the midst of his sufferings Job did not waver in his trust of God. In chapter 19 of the Book of Job, he exclaims:
One of the greatest examples of faith and hope in everlasting life with God is the testimony of Job in the Old Testament. God allowed Job to be tested through great trial and suffering. In the midst of his sufferings Job did not waver in his trust of God. In chapter 19 of the Book of Job, he exclaims:
"For I know
that my Redeemer lives, and that at the last he will stand upon the earth; and
after my skin has been thus destroyed, then in my flesh I shall see God, whom I
shall see on my side, and my eyes shall behold, and not another" (Job
19:25-27).
King David also
expressed his hope in the promise of everlasting life with God. In Psalm 16
David prays,
Therefore my heart
is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will rest secure, because you will
not abandon me to the realm of the dead, nor will you let your faithful one see
decay. You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in
your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand (Psalm 16:9-11 NIV translation).
We wait with
hope for the Lord to raise us up to everlasting life
Jesus made an incredible promise to his disciples and a claim which only God can make and deliver: Whoever sees and believes in Jesus, the Son of God, shall have everlasting life and be raised up at the last day (John 6:40)! How can we see Jesus? The Lord makes his presence known to us in the reading of his word (John 14:23), in the breaking of the bread, and in his church, the body of Christ.
Jesus made an incredible promise to his disciples and a claim which only God can make and deliver: Whoever sees and believes in Jesus, the Son of God, shall have everlasting life and be raised up at the last day (John 6:40)! How can we see Jesus? The Lord makes his presence known to us in the reading of his word (John 14:23), in the breaking of the bread, and in his church, the body of Christ.
The Lord Jesus reveals
himself in many countless ways to those who seek him with eyes of faith (Hebrews
12:2, 11:27). When we read the word of God in the Bible Jesus speaks to us and
he reveals to us the mind and heart of our heavenly Father. When we approach
the table of the Lord, Jesus offers himself as spiritual food which produces
the very life of God within us (I am the bread of life, John 6:35).
He promises unbroken fellowship and freedom from the fear of being forsaken or
cut off from everlasting life with God. And he offers us the hope of sharing in
his resurrection - abundant life without end. Do you recognize the Lord's
presence in your life and do you long for the day when you will see him face to
face?
The Holy Spirit
is the key to growth in faith
What is faith and how do we grow in it? Faith is an entirely free gift which God offers us through his Son Jesus Christ. We could not approach God if he did not first approach us and draw us to himself. The Lord Jesus gives us his Holy Spirit who works in us to open our ears to hear God's word and to respond to it with trust and submission. The Holy Spirit is the key to our growing in faith. The Holy Spirit is our teacher and guide who makes our faith come alive as we cooperate with his help and instruction.
What is faith and how do we grow in it? Faith is an entirely free gift which God offers us through his Son Jesus Christ. We could not approach God if he did not first approach us and draw us to himself. The Lord Jesus gives us his Holy Spirit who works in us to open our ears to hear God's word and to respond to it with trust and submission. The Holy Spirit is the key to our growing in faith. The Holy Spirit is our teacher and guide who makes our faith come alive as we cooperate with his help and instruction.
To live, grow, and
persevere in faith to the end we must nourish it with the word of God.
Augustine of Hippo (354-430 AD) said: I believe, in order to
understand; and I understand, the better to believe.Jesus promises that
those who accept him as their Lord and Savior and submit to his word will be
raised up to immortal life with him when he comes again at the close of this
age. Is your life securely anchored to the promises of Christ and his
everlasting kingdom of heaven?
"Lord Jesus Christ,
your death and resurrection brought life and hope where there was once only
despair and defeat. Give me unwavering faith, unshakeable hope, and the fire of
your unquenchable love that I may serve you joyfully now and for ever in your
everlasting kingdom."
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November 2, 2014.
The Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed (All Souls Day)
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John 11:17-27
When Jesus arrived,
he found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days. Now Bethany
was near Jerusalem, only about two miles away. And many of the Jews had come
to Martha and Mary to comfort them about their brother. When Martha heard
that Jesus was coming, she went to meet him; but Mary sat at home. Martha
said to Jesus, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have
died. But even now I know that whatever you ask of God, God will give
you." Jesus said to her, "Your brother will rise." Martha said
to him, "I know he will rise, in the resurrection on the last day."
Jesus told her, "I am the resurrection and the life; whoever believes in
me, even if he dies, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me
will never die. Do you believe this?" She said to him, "Yes, Lord.
I have come to believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one who
is coming into the world."
Introductory
Prayer: Lord, I believe in you
with a faith that never seeks to test you. I trust in you, hoping to learn to
accept and follow your will, even when it does not make sense to the way that
I see things. I love you, and I want to love you and those around me with a
love similar to the love you have shown to me.
Petition: Lord, help me to take seriously the gravity of
purgatory and the plight of those who end up there.
1. Even God Weeps for those who Have Died: Today
we remember our loved ones who have passed away, just as Mary and Martha
remember their brother Lazarus in this passage from the Gospel. It is a good
and holy thing to be sad when a loved one dies. Some think that it is a lack
of faith to be sad when someone dies, but in the passage, Jesus does not
rebuke Mary and Martha for being sad, but tries to console them. Later, when
he comes to the tomb himself, Jesus weeps for Lazarus (John 11:35). What a
terrible thing death must be for Jesus to weep for Lazarus even though he
knows that in a few moments he will raise Lazarus from the dead. Clearly, we
don’t appreciate the true tragedy of death, that God himself would weep for a
friend who is dead while knowing he has power over death.
2. You Don’t Want to Go There: We are
quick to put people in heaven, probably a little too quick. We are not doing
them a favor. Many of us, even the best of us, will not go straight to
heaven, but will have to spend some time in purgatory, to be cleansed of our
attachments and desires toward sinfulness as well as for any sins for which
we have not done sufficient penance. We tend to underestimate purgatory as
well, maybe because people there are assured of getting into heaven. While it
is true that people in purgatory probably experience a joy beyond anything we
will experience in this life, they also experience more intense suffering
than anything we have experienced in this life. The suffering of purgatory is
similar to the suffering of hell, and we know we don’t want to experience
that. Purgatory is nothing I want my loved ones to experience, if I can help
it, nor do I want to go there myself, if I can help it. The great thing is
that I can indeed help it.
3. Only the Living Hold the Keys to Purgatory: What
am I willing to do to avoid purgatory? Up until now, have I even thought of
it as something to be avoided? Do I realize that all the sacrifices I can
make in this life to avoid purgatory do not add up to what it will be like to
suffer in purgatory? Do I ever remember that my loved ones may be there now?
Perhaps while they were in this life, they suffered greatly and I was
relieved by their deaths because now their “suffering was over.” Am I an “out
of sight, out of mind” kind of person? Do I think there is nothing more I can
do for them? Or am I genuinely concerned about the likelihood that they may
be in purgatory? Do I realize that my prayers and sacrifices represent the
key to release them and that I can use it if I want to? Do I care about using
it? On this day when we remember the souls in purgatory, it would be
good to do something for those who are there, especially for the ones I love
the most.
Conversation with
Christ: Dear Jesus, help me to
remember those I love and offer up sacrifices, prayers and masses for them
frequently, so they may be with you as soon as possible. Help me to make the
choices I need to make in this life so I can avoid purgatory as much as
possible.
Resolution: Today I will make a sacrifice for my loved ones
in purgatory, remembering that for God, the size of the sacrifice does not
count as much as the love with which it is made.
By Father James
Swanson, LC
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COMMEMORATION OF ALL THE FAITHFUL DEPARTED
(ALL SOULS)
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 2, JOHN 6:37-40
(Wisdom 3:1-9; Psalm 25; Romans 5:5-11; or any readings taken from the Masses for the Dead)
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 2, JOHN 6:37-40
(Wisdom 3:1-9; Psalm 25; Romans 5:5-11; or any readings taken from the Masses for the Dead)
KEY VERSE: "Everything that the Father gives me will come to me, and I will not reject anyone who comes to me" (v 37).
READING: Jesus came into the world to reveal God's wisdom, yet some refused to believe in him. They did not understand that he was the fullness of God's revelation and the source of eternal salvation. They failed to comprehend the meaning of the miraculous sign of the bread that Jesus gave the people in the wilderness (v 30-31). He was the life-giving "bread" sent by God who would satisfy the people's hunger and thirst forever. Jesus did not reject anyone who came to him in faith. Just as he was careful not to lose a single fragment of the miraculous loaves, none of the souls God entrusted to him would perish; they would share in his resurrection. For believers, life was changed at death, not ended. The souls of the just who lived the Paschal mystery of Christ's dying and rising share in his eternal life. All the faithful live in hope of enjoying the fullness of life with Jesus. Today, we join with our departed loved ones in their celebration of victory over death.
REFLECTING: Do I pray for the souls of my deceased loved ones?
PRAYING: Lord Jesus, reveal your glory to all who are alive in you.
NOTE: Historically, the custom of praying for the dead dates as far back as 2 Maccabees 12:42-46. The custom of setting apart a special day for intercession on November 2 for the faithful departed was first established by the abbey of St. Odilo of Cluny in 998. The custom was soon adopted in several dioceses in France, and spread throughout the Western Church. It was accepted in Rome only in the fourteenth century. While November 2 remained the liturgical celebration, in time the entire month of November became associated in the Western Catholic tradition with prayer for the departed. Lists of names of those to be remembered are often placed in the proximity of the altar on which the sacrifice of the mass is offered.
Sunday 2 November 2014
All the Faithful Departed.
V.
Job 19:1,
23-27 (alt). The Lord is my light and my salvation—Ps
26(27):1, 4, 7-9, 13-14. Matthew 11:25-30.
How do you look at
death? Do you view it with dread or as a passage from one beautiful life
to another even more beautiful? As we recall those who have gone before us,
today is a good time to think about these ‘last things’.
Matthews’s text provides
comfort and hope for those who have recently lost a loved one. Jesus says, ‘I
am gentle and humble of heart and you will find rest for your souls’ (Matthew
11:29). I imagine my own loved one enjoying that rest after he left this earth
‘battle weary’ from dealing with health issues.
On this day of All Souls,
let us rejoice with the angels that we have a Saviour who has opened the gates
of heaven for us and will welcome us into his loving arms. Jesus, we bring you
our concern for our loved ones who have died. Bring us all into the light of
your presence.
MINUTE MEDITATIONS
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Spiritual Companionship
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Every one of us has the ability to be a healing presence and
provide spiritual companionship to someone who is dying. To touch gently is to
give hope—not the false hope of recovery where none may be possible, but the
hope of a tangible presence of God in our lives.
November
2
Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed
Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed
The Church has encouraged prayer for the dead from the earliest
times as an act of Christian charity. "If we had no care for the
dead," Augustine noted, "we would not be in the habit of praying for
them." Yet pre-Christian rites for the deceased retained such a strong
hold on the superstitious imagination that a liturgical commemoration was not
observed until the early Middle Ages, when monastic communities began to mark
an annual day of prayer for the departed members.
In the
middle of the 11th century, St. Odilo, abbot of Cluny, France, decreed that all
Cluniac monasteries offer special prayers and sing the Office for the Dead on
November 2, the day after the feast of All Saints. The custom spread from Cluny
and was finally adopted throughout the Roman Church.
The
theological underpinning of the feast is the acknowledgment of human frailty.
Since few people achieve perfection in this life but, rather, go to the grave
still scarred with traces of sinfulness, some period of purification seems
necessary before a soul comes face-to-face with God. The Council of Trent
affirmed this purgatory state and insisted that the prayers of the living can
speed the process of purification.
Superstition
easily clung to the observance. Medieval popular belief held that the souls in
purgatory could appear on this day in the form of witches, toads or
will-o’-the-wisps. Graveside food offerings supposedly eased the rest of the
dead.
Observances
of a more religious nature have survived. These include public processions or
private visits to cemeteries and decorating graves with flowers and lights.
This feast is observed with great fervor in Mexico.
Comment:
Whether or not one should pray for the dead is one of the great arguments which divide Christians. Appalled by the abuse of indulgences in the Church of his day, Martin Luther rejected the concept of purgatory. Yet prayer for a loved one is, for the believer, a way of erasing any distance, even death. In prayer we stand in God's presence in the company of someone we love, even if that person has gone before us into death.
Whether or not one should pray for the dead is one of the great arguments which divide Christians. Appalled by the abuse of indulgences in the Church of his day, Martin Luther rejected the concept of purgatory. Yet prayer for a loved one is, for the believer, a way of erasing any distance, even death. In prayer we stand in God's presence in the company of someone we love, even if that person has gone before us into death.
Quote:
“We must not make purgatory into a flaming concentration camp on the brink of hell—or even a ‘hell for a short time.’ It is blasphemous to think of it as a place where a petty God exacts the last pound—or ounce—of flesh...." St. Catherine of Genoa, a mystic of the 15th century, wrote that the ‘fire’ of purgatory is God’s love ‘burning’ the soul so that, at last, the soul is wholly aflame. It is the pain of wanting to be made totally worthy of One who is seen as infinitely lovable, the pain of desire for union that is now absolutely assured, but not yet fully tasted” (Leonard Foley, O.F.M., Believing in Jesus).
“We must not make purgatory into a flaming concentration camp on the brink of hell—or even a ‘hell for a short time.’ It is blasphemous to think of it as a place where a petty God exacts the last pound—or ounce—of flesh...." St. Catherine of Genoa, a mystic of the 15th century, wrote that the ‘fire’ of purgatory is God’s love ‘burning’ the soul so that, at last, the soul is wholly aflame. It is the pain of wanting to be made totally worthy of One who is seen as infinitely lovable, the pain of desire for union that is now absolutely assured, but not yet fully tasted” (Leonard Foley, O.F.M., Believing in Jesus).
LECTIO DIVINA:
ALL SOULS - JOHN 6,37-40
Lectio:
Sunday, November 2, 2014
All Souls Day
The bread of life
John 6: 37-40
John 6: 37-40
1.
LECTIO
a) Opening prayer
Spirit of God, come from the four corners of
the earth and breathe on these dead persons so that they may rise again (Ez 37:
9). Come Holy Spirit, breathe on our minds, hearts and souls so that we may
become a new creation in Christ, firstborn into life eternal. Amen.
b) Gospel reading
Jesus said to them, "All that the Father
gives me will come to me; and him who comes to me I will not cast out. For I
have come down from heaven, not to do my own will, but the will of him who sent
me; and this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all
that he has given me, but raise it up at the last day. For this is the will of
my Father, that every one who sees the Son and believes in him should have
eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day."
c) Prayerful silent time
hat the Word of God may enter into our hearts and enlighten our
life.
2.
MEDITATIO
a) A key to the reading
In John’s Gospel, the basic perspective
concerning Jesus and his mission is that the Word made flesh is sent by the
Father in to the world to give us life and to save that which was lost. The
world, however, rejects the Word incarnate. The prologue of the Gospel presents
us with this thought (Jn 1: 1-18), which the Evangelist will gradually
elaborate in the Gospel story. The synoptic Gospels also, in their own way,
proclaim the same news. One need only think of the parables of the lost sheep
and the lost drachma (Lk 15: 1-10); or the declaration: I did not come to call
the just, but sinners (Mk 2: 17).
This thought is also found in this passage: I
have come down from heaven, not to do my own will, but the will of him who sent
(Jn 6: 38). This is the will of my Father, that every one who sees the Son and
believes in him should have eternal life (Jn 6: 40). The key words in John’s
Gospel are: see and believe. To see, implies and automatically means to believe
in the Son sent by the Father. This attitude of faith brings the believer to possess
eternal life. In John’s Gospel, the salvation of the world is already fulfilled
by the first coming of Christ through the incarnation and the resurrection of
the one who allows himself to be lifted up on the cross. The second coming of
Christ on the last day will be a completion of this mystery of salvation.
Today’s Gospel is taken from the section that
speaks of the mystery of Jesus (Jn 1-12). The text takes us, for the second
time in John’s Gospel, to Galilee, at the time of the Passover: After this,
Jesus went across the sea of Galilee... it was near the Passover, the feast of
the Jews (Jn 6: 1, 4). A great crowd followed him, (Jn 6: 2) and Jesus seeing
the crowd that followed him, multiplies the loaves. The crowd want to proclaim
him king, but Jesus disappears and goes up to the mountain alone (Jn 6: 15).
After a brief pause that allows us to contemplate the Lord walking on the
waters (Jn 6: 16-21), the story continues the next day (Jn 6: 22), and the
crowd goes on waiting for and seeking out Jesus. Then comes the discourse on
the bread of life and Jesus’ warning to obtain the food that will last forever
(Jn 6: 27). Jesus defines himself as the bread of life and makes reference to
the manna given to the people of God through Moses, as a figure of the true
bread that comes down from heaven and gives life to the world (Jn 6:, 30-36).
This is the context within which the words of Jesus are pronounced and that we
are using for our Lectio (Jn 6: 37-40). In this context, too, we come across a
new kind of opposition and a new rejection of the revelation of the Christ as
the bread of life (Jn 6: 41-66).
Jesus’ words concerning everyone who goes to
him, echo God’s invitation to take part in the benefits of the banquet of the
covenant (Is 55: 1-3). Jesus does not reject those who come to him, rather he
gives them eternal life. In fact, his mission is to seek and save the lost ones
(Lk 19: 27). We are reminded of this in the story of the meeting of Jesus with
the Samaritan woman by Jacob’s well (Jn 4: 1-42). Jesus does not reject the
Samaritan woman, but begins a ‘pastoral’ dialogue with the woman who comes to
the well to draw material water and there finds the man, the prophet and the
Messiah who promises to give her the water of eternal life (Jn 4: 13-15). In our
passage we find the same structure: on the one hand the people seek material
bread and on the other Jesus gives them a long spiritual discourse on the bread
of life. The witness of Jesus who eats the bread of God’s will (Jn 4: 34)
echoes the teaching of the Master in this Gospel passage (Jn 6: 38).
At the last supper, Jesus takes up this
discourse again in chapter 17. It is he who gives eternal life (Jn 17: 2),
preserves and watches over all those whom the Father has given to him. Of these
none is lost except the son of perdition (Jn 17: 12-13).
b) A few questions
to guide our meditation and practice.
* The Word made flesh is sent into the world
by the Father to give us life, but the world rejects the incarnate Word. Do I
welcome into my life the Divine Word who gives eternal life? How?
* I came down from heaven not to do my will,
but the will of him who sent me (Jn 6: 38). In Jesus we see obedience to the
will of the Father. Do I internalise this virtue in my life and live it out
daily?
* Anyone who sees the Son and believes in him
will have eternal life (Jn 6: 40). Who is Jesus for me? Do I try to see him
with the eyes of faith, listen to his words, contemplate his way of being? What
does eternal life mean for me?
3.
ORATIO
a) Psalm 23
The Lord is my shepherd,
I shall not want;
he makes me lie down in green pastures.
He leads me beside still waters;
he restores my soul.
He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake.
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I fear no evil;
for thou art with me;
thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me.
Thou preparest a table before me
in the presence of my enemies;
thou anointest my head with oil, my cup overflows.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life;
and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.
I shall not want;
he makes me lie down in green pastures.
He leads me beside still waters;
he restores my soul.
He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake.
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I fear no evil;
for thou art with me;
thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me.
Thou preparest a table before me
in the presence of my enemies;
thou anointest my head with oil, my cup overflows.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life;
and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.
b) Closing prayer
O God, who at the table of your word and of
the bread of life nourish us so that we may grow in love, grant that we may
welcome your message into our heart so that we may become yeast and instruments
of salvation in the world. Through Christ our Lord. Amen
4.
CONTEMPLATIO
Contemplation is knowing how to adhere with
one’s mind and heart to the Lord who by his Word transforms us into new beings
who always do his will. “Knowing these things, you will be blessed if you do
them.” (Jn 13: 17)
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