Today is All Soul’s Day. It is a day of introspection, a day of remembering our family members and friends who have died before us. It is sometimes painful for us to remember them. The passage of time eases the pain a bit, but traces of the sadness will always linger because we love them. The readings for mass today are of such comfort though. Our Catholic faith is truly a beautiful thing and it endures for our entire life. Not just during our lifetime, but it endures forever.
The first reading for mass begins most beautifully. “The souls of the just are in the hand of God, and no torment shall touch them.” God Himself is caring for our family and friends who have passed before us. The first reading says, “they are in peace.” We are the ones who are sad, but they are in paradise.
The first reading describes what Catholics believe about those who die in God’s friendship, and describes purgatory and our glorified bodies in heaven. “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…in the time of their visitation they shall shine, and shall dart about as sparks through stubble.” Our loved ones have bodies that shine in heaven. They are full of light, full of love. It’s a shame we can’t see them. But, we shall be with them soon enough. Time passes so quickly. But, the first reading is very comforting to hear about our loved ones, and eases our fears about our own future as well. 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.” The depths of God’s love for us is unfathomable.
Saint Paul writes in the second reading, “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.” Jesus proved that he loves us, and that there is life after death, and that our sins are forgiven. We should never doubt this for ourselves or anyone else that we love. None of us are perfect people, but Jesus already knew this and he still loves us.
Saint Paul continues to say in the second alternate reading for today, “Just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might live in newness of life…..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.” And Jesus proved that death does not have power over him, because of his resurrection on Easter morning. Aside from everything we have been taught about Christ’s resurrection from the dead, just the fact that mankind never forgot this event, and carefully preserved it for future generations for over 2,ooo years, testifies to the validity of Christ’s resurrection from the dead. There has never been an event of this magnitude that affected mankind’s history, like the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
We need not fear death, for we too will rise to a new life. Jesus promises us this in today’s gospel. “Everything that the Father gives me will come to me, and I will not reject anyone who comes to me……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.”
Christ’s words that are recorded in the bible are living words. They have lived in the hearts of mankind for over 2,000 years and will continue to do so forever. Jesus’ words will never die and if we believe them, neither will we. Death is simply a door that we open to heaven, where Christ awaits us, along with the angels and the saints and everyone that we love, who traveled this way before us.
Daily Mass Readings:
Wis 3: 1-9 / Ps 23 / Rom 5: 5-11 or 6: 3-9 / Jn 6: 37-40
