Celebrating All Souls’ day on a Sunday is a pretty rare thing. Fr. Braun and I thought it would get everyone’s attention by starting our homilies simply looking out at the congregation and solemnly saying, “one day, all of you will die!” In fact, there was a priest who did something very similar. He was normally pretty easy-going and lighthearted. So when he gave his homily on All Souls’ Day, with the final, thundering line, “One day, every single member of this parish will die”, The congregation sat frozen….until someone in the back burst out laughing. All heads turned to see a stranger trying to catch his breath between fits of laughter. Annoyed, the priest said, “And what is so funny about the fact that everyone in this parish will die?” The man replied, “I’m not a member of this parish.”
Now, none of us would be so foolish to think we can cheat death. But, if we’re honest, most of us avoid thinking about our own mortality as much as possible. It’s uncomfortable to imagine the day when our time on this earth, along with our possessions, our plans, and our daily routines will fade away. It is much easier to distract ourselves with other things that aren’t necessarily bad but certainly aren’t important. We tend to pour most of our energy into this passing life and very little into preparing for the life that never ends.
That’s precisely why the Church gives us All Souls Day, a yearly reminder to commemorate the dead, to shake us gently, to remind us that death isn’t something to fear or ignore, but to face with faith and hope. On this day, we remember our loved ones who have died, and we also remember that one day, we too will take that same step into eternity.
This day isn’t morbid or grim. It’s actually one of the most hope-filled days of the year. The liturgy points us to the truth that God’s love is stronger than death. The Church is not obsessed with dying; she is passionately concerned with living forever. For followers of Christ, death is not the end. It’s the doorway to eternal life. And the Church teaches that after death, three possibilities await us.
Possibility one: Jesus will look at our life and see we tried our best to live as he did. In other words, we made God the number one priority and we died in the state of grace. Also, he would see that we thought of others before ourself, we made sacrifices to feed the hungry, care for the sick and dying, clothe the naked, and so on. In this case he will see that we were faithful in prayer, kept the commandments, and stayed obedient to the Church’s teaching on faith and morals. After seeing all of this, God will recognize the life of his son within us and we will hear those saving words: “Come, you who are blessed by my Father. Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.”
Possibility #2: Jesus will look at our life and see that we spent most of our time and energy on ourselves and our own interests. In other words, we gave God time only when it was convenient or we felt like it, and we did not die in the state of grace. As a result, he would see that we thought of ourselves first, that we were stingy in making sacrifices to feed the hungry, care for the sick and dying, clothe the naked, and so on. In this scenario, Jesus will see and know this soul but this person will ultimately have failed to recognize and care for Christ, especially in others, throughout his or her life. Christ will see someone who was disobedient or defiant of him, of his Church, and ultimately most concerned with themselves. To these, Jesus will say:Depart from me, you accursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.
The third possibility is purgatory, for those who did their best to live faithfully but still had weaknesses, attachments, and sins not fully purified. That’s most of us. We die in God’s grace, but not yet perfectly free from sin. Purgatory is a state of being where we are cleansed and made ready for heaven. It is not a punishment; it’s an act of love. It’s God’s way of finishing the work he began in us; healing our hearts and freeing us from anything that keeps us from perfect love. It’s like a final washing before the banquet, so that nothing unclean remains when we stand before the holiness of God. The early Christians prayed for the dead, and even Scripture praises this practice: the Book of Maccabees calls it “a holy and wholesome thought to pray for the dead.”
Knowing this should inspire us to do two things. First, to accept the our sufferings with faith so that our hearts may be purified and our love made more perfect. When we face trials or hardships, we can remember that God uses those moments to prepare us for eternal joy. And second, to pray for our loved ones who have died. Every Mass, every rosary, every act of love offered for the dead helps them on their journey to heaven. They rely on our prayers because they can no longer help themselves!
This is one of the most beautiful and comforting aspects of our Catholic faith; our connection with loved ones does not end at death. God has mysteriously linked our lives to theirs in a communion of love that death cannot break. When we pray for them, we offer real help; when they reach heaven, they in turn pray for us.
So today, on this feast of All Souls, let’s not be afraid to think about death. Let’s see it as a reminder to live each day in a way that prepares our souls to meet God face-to-face. Let’s also remember, with love and gratitude, those who have gone before us: our parents, grandparents, friends, and all the faithful departed.
Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. May the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.
