Reading I
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.
Responsorial Psalm
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.
Reading II
Brothers and sisters:
Hope does not disappoint,
because the love of God has been poured out into our hearts
through the Holy Spirit who 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.
Alleluia
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Come, you who are blessed by my Father;
inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel
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.”
HOMILY
Today the Holy mother church all over the world commemorates all soul’s day. The Masses we celebrate today are prayers to ask God for forgiveness on behalf of our deceased brothers and sisters. This is mainly for those who are still in purgatory and need God’s mercy.
We must pause a moment to ask ourselves, why pray for the dead? When the letter to the Hebrews says: “After death comes judgment” (Heb 9: 27). When there is a saying: “There is no repentance in the grave.” Does this not mean that we are wasting our time here? No, we are not!
As Catholics, we believe in the communion of Saints. This communion or fellowship includes the triumphant church’s saints, the militant church, and the suffering Church. So, we are in a fellowship in which we could help each other through our prayers. The Church suffering in purgatory needs purification to reach their eternal destination.
The book of Maccabees attests that Judas Maccabeus, head of Israel, made a collection “so, they offered a sacrifice of atonement for the sins of those who had died in battle, to pray for the dead so that they are free from their sins, is a holy and suitable action” (Mac 12:46).
According to Catholic teaching, to pray for the living and the dead (especially, souls in purgatory) is the seventh spiritual work of mercy. However, while the doctrine on purgatory is well-founded and plausible, we should strive hard for holiness and perfection to enter straight into heaven at the end of our earthly life.
Does our life terminate in death? The book of Wisdom answers this question: “The souls of the righteous are in the hands of God, and no torment will reach them. Foolish people, who have no faith, thought that there is no hope for them. But the righteous are at peace.” While they were alive, they were victims of sins, selfishness, and injustice. They are now in God’s hands in the hands of a father who is love and willing to forgive them.
They are now in the hands of God, who protected them along the path of this earthly life. Now, they are where “there will be no torment, where there will be immense happiness, rest, light, peace, and immortality. There, God himself shall wipe away all their tears. Over there, there will be no more weeping or death (Ap. 21, 3-4).
