COMMEMORATION OF ALL SOULS: HOMILY BY FR. ISAAC CHIMA

THEME: Remembering Our Dead: Death Is Not the End of Love

Dearest friends in Christ, yesterday, we rejoiced in the triumph of our brothers and sisters who have overcome the trials of this world. They remained steadfast in faith, ran the race with perseverance, and now wear the crown of glory bestowed by God. Today, the Church turns our hearts toward those who have departed but have not yet reached their eternal home. They are journeying onwards, but held back at the moment by the remnants of sin, awaiting full purification. It is our sacred duty to pray for them, entrusting them to the mercy of God, who alone can cleanse and welcome them into the beatific vision, united with the saints in heaven.

This day, the Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed, is a profound reminder of the fullness of the Church. We are part of a divine communion that has the Church triumphant in heaven, the Church militant here on earth, and the Church suffering in purgatory. The Church triumphant rejoices in eternal glory; the Church militant continues the pilgrimage of faith; and the Church suffering undergoes purification, longing for the embrace of heaven. Today, we as the Church militant lift our prayers to God, asking for grace and mercy on behalf of the suffering Church in purgatory.

The Church’s teaching on purgatory reflects the vision of St. John that “Nothing impure will enter heaven” (Rev. 21:27), and the wisdom of St. John’s teaching that “There is sin that does not lead to eternal death” (1 John 5:16–17). Dear friends, what becomes of those who die with sins that do not merit eternal separation from God, as John taught? Purgatory is the answer; it is a merciful temporal state of cleansing, where souls are cleansed and prepared to enter the heavenly banquet.

Just as Judas Maccabeus (2 Maccabees 12:38-46) urged prayers for fallen soldiers, we too are called to pray for our departed loved ones. We entrust them to the boundless mercy of God, who gave His only Son for our salvation. If God went to the extent of sacrificing His only Son to redeem us, then we cannot doubt the immensity of His love and mercy for us.

We pray today because we believe in a God whose dominion extends beyond the grave. He is the God of the living and the dead. We believe in His power to raise dry bones to life (Ez 37:12), and in His promise not to abandon His faithful in death nor let His beloved see decay (Ps 16:10).

Remembering our deceased loved ones is a natural human impulse. But for Catholics, this memory is not passive; it is rather active, accompanied by intercessory prayer for them. We pray not only for those we knew, but also for all the departed whose faith is known to God alone. We do these prayers because of the deep bond we share with them in the communion of saints. Our Church is not only a gathering of the living; it is a sacred fellowship that includes heaven, earth, and purgatory, a communion of the living and the dead.

Their condition of the dead reminds us to live holy lives, so that when our own earthly journey ends, we may enter heaven unimpeded. Let us not forget that the dead were our beloved ones. And love does not die with the body. Death is not the end of love, and it never brought an end to the love we shared with them. Rather, the love we shared with them endures. Divine love is also eternal; it is far beyond our comprehension.

Today, we commend our departed brothers and sisters to the eternal love of God. We pray that they may be swiftly freed from the purifying fire (1 Cor 3:15), and that God, who knows them better, may judge them with mercy. For if God were to count our sins, who could stand? But with Him there is mercy, and for this we revere Him (Ps 130:3–4).

Dear friends, we pray for all the dead, for we do not know who among them has already entered into peace. Though time may have softened the pain of their absence, the Church calls us never to forget them. Let this month of November be a time of special prayer and remembrance. Our prayers will not be in vain; they will help our loved ones reach their heavenly home.

Peace be with you.

Fr. Isaac Chima

 COMMEMORATION OF ALL SOULS: REFLECTION BY FR. JULIAN EKEH

THEME: REMEMBER THE DEAD AND REMEMBER YOU SHALL DIE

(Luke 14:12-14)

In a world, that is gradually losing the fear of God, the sense of the sacred and the respect for the sanctity of life we are called to pause and ponder on life after life for those who have gone before us and for ourselves still journeying to meet with the Lord. We remember in a very special way this day all the dead who are not yet resting in the peace of Christ. We remember the words of st Augustine that our souls are restless until they rest in the Lord.

The Catholic Church believes in the resurrection of the Body and Life everlasting. We are in communion with the living and the dead. Among the living, there are saints and sinners. Among the dead, there are also saints and sinners. The eternal home of the saints is heaven. The eternal home of unrepentant sinners is described as hell. What about those who made sincere effort to live saintly but are not perfect because of human weakness? Those the Bible described in Luke 12:48, 1 John 5:16-17. We believe that God purges them and raises them to life.

 We profess the forgiveness of sins for the living and because the mercy and love of God is endless, we commend the dead whose fate we do not know into the merciful love of God to grant them pardon for their failings and welcome them into his heavenly kingdom.

With the celebration of All Saints and the commemoration of All Souls of the departed, we celebrate our oneness in Christ. We call to mind the fellowship we share as those baptized into the death and resurrection of Christ. We celebrate in thanksgiving and gratitude to God for the life of those who succeeded through a life of holiness and are now in the joy of heaven. We on the other hand pray in sorrow for those of them, our brothers and sisters, fathers and mothers, friends and relatives who did their best to please God while on earth but have not been able to realize the beatific vision. We call on God to show them mercy. We ourselves turn to God in prayers for his grace to keep us focused on the journey to heaven as pilgrims of hope.

 

LESSONS FROM TODAY’S CELEBRATION

HEAVEN IS THE GOAL

This world is not our home sang Jim Reeves. The Catechism of the Catholic Church reminds us that God created us to know, love and serve Him so that we may have eternal joy with him. This is the dream and hope of every Christian to be counted among the souls of the righteous that will be in God’s hands, to enjoy the grace of not being cast out of heaven, and to enjoy life everlasting. We remember therefore today those who believed that they shall see the Lord’s goodness in the land of the living but are unfortunately held down by their frailties in the land of the dead.

The celebration of today is not the celebration of mediocrity. It is a commemoration in deep humility. It is a plea for those who can no longer help themselves. It is the support given to those who made serious effort but their effort was not hundred percent. Heaven was their goal but…

They now rely on the mercy of God to crown their effort. They cannot say with St Paul “I have fought the good fight, I have won the race”.  They are like the good student who targeted first class, worked for it but overlooked taking care of his health and could not do so well in the exams. Some kind lecturers may consider such students and give him a benefit of the doubt. If we who are bad can do such, what about our heavenly Father?

 

LET’S NOT FORGET OUR DEAD ONES

Today, we remind ourselves that death is never the end of love. It is not the end of divine love. The love of God is beyond human comprehension. Our love for our dead ones should not end at death. We commend these our dead brothers and sisters into the eternal love of God, praying God that they may be liberated from the pain of hellfire as soon as possible.

Today, we recall the many friends of ours who have died. We recall their sacrifices. We pray that these will not be in vain. We remember the memories we shared and pray God to give them eternal bliss. We think of what these our friends suffered here on earth and pray that they may not see eternal torment. We call to mind the weaknesses of these men and women and pray God who knows them better to be merciful in his judgement.

We pray for all the dead since we may not tell for sure whether they have attained peace or not, that God may not abandon them.

After many years of departure, we may have overgrown the pain of the loss, but let us not forget the state of the one we lost to death.

Thus, let masses be celebrated today for these souls undergoing purgation before entering heaven. Yes, that purging is necessary because nothing defiled enters heaven. However, let us in the words of the psalmist remind God that if He marks their iniquity, no one will survive (Psalm 129). With Him is mercy, for this we revere Him.

 

LET’S BE KIND TO THE BERIEVED

Let us today console those who have really suffered unspeakable heartbreaks and shocks because of the death of loved ones. Let us commit the souls of those who died because of diseases, insecurity, and wars into God's hands. Let us visit the cemeteries and graves. Let us, if possible, visit the mortuaries.

 

WE TOO SHALL DIE

Death is inescapable. I will die. You will die. We shall all die one day. After death what next? How prepared are we? Let us remind ourselves what lies ahead of us. Let us ask ourselves questions about how we are living our lives and start now to cancel every debt of sin we owe. Let us repent now!

May the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God rest in peace.

 

LET US PRAY

O God, the creator and redeemer of all the faithful. Grant to the souls of your faithful departed a place in your kingdom. Remind us that we, too, will be dead someday. Help us to amend our lives. Look on the few good things we are doing and through the merit of these virtuous acts, in your mercy open the gates of heaven for our late brothers and sisters through Christ our Lord. Amen

Eternal rest grant unto them Oh Lord, and let your perpetual light shine on them

Happy Sunday.

Wishing you a prayerful commemoration of All Souls.

Rev Fr Julian O Ekeh