Sunday:       All Souls
Date:         November 2, 2001
Year:         C
The readings: [Job 19:1, 23-7; 1 Cor. 15:20-3; Jn. 12:23-6]
The message:  Whoever serves Me must follow Me.
Prepared by:  CATHOLIC DOORS MINISTRY
Total words:  671

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"Whoever serves Me must follow Me" [Jn. 12:26] Yesterday, we celebrated "All Saints' Day" to commemorate all the faithful, living and dead, past and present, known or unknown, who belong to the Body of Christ. Today, we are commemorating "All Souls' Day" to remember all of our faithful departed. These are the ones who have persisted in their living faith by following the footsteps of the Lord Jesus until their last breath. While most of them are now enjoying the beatific vision in Heaven, some of the departed soul remain in Purgatory.

Those who remain in Purgatory, they have not been completely cleansed from venial sin, nor have fully atoned for their past transgressions. As such, until such time as they are completely sanctified in Christ, these souls are in need of our assistance so that they may be freed from Purgatory. Through our prayers, alm deeds, sacrifices, fasting, and most important of all, through the celebration of the Holy Mass, we can help our departed brothers and sisters in Christ by lessening the amount of time that they are required to spend in purgatory.

While All Saints Day reminds us to pray for the faithful departed, it also reminds us that we, the living, benefit from the prayers of our departed brothers and sisters in Christ. This unity of prayers, in Heaven and on earth, results from our oneness in the Mystical Body of Christ. Accordingly, the Holy Spirit disperses Divine graces, the fruit of united prayers, to all the members of the Body of Christ, above and below.

Today's First Reading from the Book of Job [Job 19:1, 23-7] spoke of faith in the Redeemer and hope in the resurrection to come. As Job believed that after his skin had been destroyed, his flesh would see God, we too co-share in this blessed Hope of the glorious resurrection that awaits all those who persevere in their living faith until the end.

We believe, having been called to die in Adam because of the sin of disobedience, we are called to become alive in Christ because of His death on the Holy Cross. We believe that Christ, having been raised from the dead, was the First Fruits of those who have died, and that we will follow in His footsteps to be glorified as He was glorified at His Resurrection. [1 Cor. 15:20-3]

Today's reading from the Gospel of John [Jn. 12:23-6] echoed the words of Jesus, "Whoever serves Me must follow Me." [Jn. 12:26] Whoever serves Jesus, He must follow Him! Those who love their lives, they will lose it. Those who hate their lives in this world, they will keep it for eternal life. Why? Because man is not called to live eternally in this world. He is called to eternal life in the heavenly Kingdom of God. Man is not called to gather wealth of this world. He is called to gather spiritual wealth that will benefit him in Heaven.

Where Jesus is, there His servants will be found. Where Jesus is physically present in the Holy Tabernacles of the Holy Catholic Churches, there His servants are to be found. Where Jesus is spiritually present within the faithful who shine in the Light of Christ, there His servants are made known. Where there is Light, you will find Jesus! Where there is darkness, you will find evil!

As we continue with the celebration of the Holy Mass, let us remember the departed souls who call upon our prayers so their suffering may be shortened by the grace of God. While our human tendency is to pray for our departed loved ones, let us not forget to pray for those who are forgotten in purgatory, those who have no loved ones to pray for them, those who have suffered the longest in purgatory. Let us ask the Lord Jesus to manifest His mercy on these souls so that they may immediately enjoy the eternal beatific vision for which they were created.

Praise God for His infinite love and mercy.

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The readings...

[The readings were taken from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible (C) 1989 Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Church of Christ in the United States of America.]

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First Reading...

"Job answered those who reproached him: 'O that my words were written down! O that they were inscribed in a book! O that with an iron pen and with lead they were engraved on a rock forever!

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 19:1, 23-7]

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Second Reading...

"Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have died. For since death came through a human being, the resurrection of the dead has also come through a human being; for all die in Adam, so all will be made alive in Christ. But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ." [1 Cor. 15:20-3]

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Gospel Reading...

"Jesus said to his disciples: 'The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. Very truly, I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains just a single grain; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.

Those who love their life lose it, and those who hate their life in this world will keep it for eternal life.

Whoever serves me must follow me, and where I am, there will my servant be also. Whoever serves me, the Father will honour." [Jn. 12:23-6]

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