Sunday:       All Souls (Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed)
Date:         November 2, 2008
Year:         A
The readings: [Lam. 3:17-26; 1 Cor. 15:51-57; Mt. 11:25:30 or Jn. 12:23-26]
The message:  Remembering the departed souls.
Prepared by:  THE CATHOLIC DOORS MINISTRY
Total words:  990 words

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My brothers and sisters in Christ, yesterday, we were gathered to commemorate All Saints' day. Today, we are celebrating All Souls' day, also known as the "Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed."

Since both of these liturgical celebrations concern the departed, some of you may ask yourselves, "What is the difference between these two days?" On All Saints' day, we commemorate those who are in Heaven, those who are presently enjoying the beatified vision of God in their eternal glory.

All Souls' day, the Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed is based on the theological basis that some of those who have departed from this world, they have not been perfectly cleansed from venial sin, or have not fully atoned for their past transgression. As such, being temporary deprived of the beatified vision until such time as they have been completely sanctified in Christ, these departed souls are to remain in Purgatory. To assist them so that they may be freed from Purgatory, we, their spiritual brothers and sisters in Christ, can help the Faithful Departed who are also members of the Body of Christ, through our prayers, our alm deeds and most important of all, through the sacrifice of the Holy Mass.

As members and living stones of the Mystical Body of Christ, we as the saints on earth, alongside with the saints in Purgatory and those in Heaven, await the glorious day when our Redeemer shall make His final appearance on earth, at which time the resurrection of the physical bodies shall take place.

Each is resurrected in his own order. Christ was the First Fruit to be raised from the dead. Then at His coming, those who belong to Him. For Christ is the first of many to follow. As death came upon the world through Adam, eternal life comes upon the saints through the Lord Jesus.

In the Gospel of John, verse 12:24-26, we read, "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."

In this parable of the grain of wheat, Jesus was speaking of spiritual death. Because death came into the world through Adam, all human beings, contaminated by the ugliness of sin, are called to spiritually die. But, by being born again through Christ through the Sacrament of Baptism, they inherit the promise of eternal life in the Kingdom of God.

During the Sacrament of Baptism, the believer dies alongside Jesus to be raised with Christ as a new creation of the godly seed. Then the believer is adopted into the Body of Christ, this qualifying him to receive the salvation that comes through Christ.

As the grain of wheat falls in the earth and dies, the believer must die through the water of Baptism and the power of the Holy Spirit. As the grain of wheat bears much fruit after death, those who are born again in Christ are called to persevere in their living faith so they may shine in spiritual works through the power of the Holy Spirit, this labour being the fruits of their holiness. Having received the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, a new heart and a new spirit, a believer is no longer the same anymore.

Through the gift of the new life that we have received in Christ, we now belong to Christ. Before, we were slaves to sin; now, we are slaves to Christ. Before, we were worldly; now, we are spiritual. Before, we strived for the better things of the world; now, we strive for the glory of God in all things.

To strive for the glory of God in all things, we must renounce the world and its imperfect ways. For the worldly ways oppose the spiritual ways. As saints and children of God through our new birth, our eyes must be fixed on Jesus and the invisible Kingdom of God. We must live as members of the invisible Kingdom of God so we may shine as bright lights in the world. If we love our lives and the worldly ways, we will lose our salvation. But if we reject the worldly ways by setting our eyes on Jesus, we will keep our life in Christ who is our assurance of salvation.

To keep our life in Christ, we must persevere in our living faith. We must remain loyal to the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church. We must obey the teachings of the Church. We must receive the Sacraments of the Church. We must love our brothers and sisters as we love Jesus. In all our thoughts, words and actions, we must shine in humility, obedience and servitude. Through such, it will be witnessed by others that we follow Jesus where He is. In the end, because we have served Jesus, God the Father will seal our adoption as children of His eternal Kingdom.

Today, the Church commands us to remember the faithful departed. In obedience, we do so, praying that when we have departed from this world, others will remember us, pray for us, make sacrifices on our behalf, and most important of all, have Holy Masses celebrated on our behalf so we may quickly be assured the eternal beatified vision of God. But for now, let us remember the faithful departed so what we do on their behalf may be done on our behalf when and if ever we are in need of our earthly brothers and sisters in Christ.

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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...

"My soul is bereft of peace; I have forgotten what happiness is; so I say, ‘Gone is my glory, and all that I had hoped for from the Lord.’

The thought of my affliction and my homelessness is wormwood and gall! My soul continually thinks of it and is bowed down within me. But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope:

The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases,* his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. ‘The Lord is my portion,’ says my soul, ‘therefore I will hope in him.’

The Lord is good to those who wait for him, to the soul that seeks him. It is good that one should wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord." [Lam. 3:17-26]

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Second Reading...

"Listen, I will tell you a mystery! We will not all die, but we will all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For this perishable body must put on imperishability, and this mortal body must put on immortality. When this perishable body puts on imperishability, and this mortal body puts on immortality, then the saying that is written will be fulfilled: ‘Death has been swallowed up in victory.’

‘Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?’ The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." [1 Cor. 15:51-57]

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Gospel Reading...

"At that time Jesus said, ‘I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and the intelligent and have revealed them to infants; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will. All things have been handed over to me by my Father; and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.

‘Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.’" [Mt. 11:25-30]

OR

"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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