November 2 - Homily for Today

The Feast of All Souls, or the Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed is a celebration of the lives of loved ones who have gone before us in death, some of whom may still be in need of the Church’s prayers of petition for their deliverance from purgatory into heaven. The feast is bound entirely on the Church’s doctrine concerning the purgative process encountered by the soul of one who, even though sin may have been forgiven, still has temporal punishment (a justified remnant of sin) to be made up for – very much like one sentenced to so many days or years in prison to make up for an unjust action.

While the process used to be thought of in terms of days, months, years – there is no time after death – and so it is not inconsistent in Church teaching to believe that the purgation process can be instantaneous, but experienced in varying degrees of intensity – depending upon the seriousness of the matter involved. This is where the prayer of the Church can help: it can help the person through the very intense birth unto the Beatific Vision of God, for the person cannot pray for himself at that point and is entirely dependent on others and the mercy of God to see him through!

The first real manifestation of the feast was given in 988, by Odilo, abbot of Cluny, who directed his community to observe November 2 as a day of prayer for the dead. From Cluny the practice spread rapidly and widely to the entire Church.

Of course, we must remember that the entire purgative process has everything to do with the hope that we have of having eternal life at all – which was brought about by the Death and Resurrection of Christ. Dying he destroyed our death; rising he restored our life! This is true! This we believe! This is our faith!

And so let us remember by name all of our loved ones today, and then pray for all who are suffering purgatory in general – so that once on “the other side” and safe in God’s heart, they may intercede for us when we are in need, both in this life and at the hour of our death!

I believe that I shall see the good things of the Lord in the land of the living.