Beloved Children of God:
The Scripture readings for the Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed, commonly known as All Souls Day, are rich in imagery professing God’s love for us. The Scripture describe God’s everlasting faith in each one of us and while we receive salvation, we are compelled to trust in God and to live through, with and in God. The us when we abide with God in love. We are given grace and mercy, and His care of each one is everlasting.
It is fitting that we commemorate all the faithful departed the day after the Solemnity of All Saints. By their example, we come to understand the gift of life given through God and the sacred treasure of each person. Through the stories we carry in our heart, we pray, we receive Jesus the Eucharist, we bear God’s love openly, and we become a part of salvation history. We live all our days to imbue each person we encounter with the holiness which comes from faith-filled living.
God’s love does not begin or end with any person for God’s love is everlasting. Jesus Christ is yesterday, today and forever as Jesus tells us that He is present to do the Father’s will. He leads us to understand that docility to the Father involves suffering and glory. Jesus is accepted and rejected, often by the same people at different times. The saints and the faithful departed lead us as Jesus does. They show us the trappings of human treasure and the blessedness of God’s love. They break open the beatitudes so that we know how to live faithfully.
Ponder the people in your life who you consider holy, the people who you wish to emulate, who you “want to be like.” My guess is that their example is similar to those in my own life. They begin and end their days with prayer. Family is important to them as the domestic church and they know they are always teaching about God, no matter their profession or activity. They partake in the Sacraments and the celebration of Mass, even when there is another event tempting them to deny God. They do not bully when in disagreement, and respect the person with whom they meet, regardless of differences in dress, belief, age or wealth.
They smile at people as they walk by, they might offer a greeting, a simple “have a good day” or wave. They treasure life, from conception to natural death, and help others to know how important each one is to the rhythm of our daily living. When they walk into the room, God enters with them. They are instruments of peace, never denying their faith, but bringing their faith to intercede for God. They are God’s disciples, offering His generous mercy to each one. They share in Christ’s suffering, knowing that this sharing is the path to glorify God’s holy name. They are the ones who understand that from the moment of their first breath, they begin the pilgrimage to die for everlasting life. They know that each moment is a precious gift, and they are called by God to live each moment to its fullest in holiness.
Pope Leo XIV said, “God forgives, lifts up, and restores trust,” and so we are also called to do. Our Holy Father said, “This is the heart of the mission of the Church: not to administer power over others, but to communicate the joy of those who are loved precisely when they did not deserve it.” After His Resurrection, the Lord shows us His wounds and says: Peace be with you.” Pope Leo XIV reminds us to also follow, “He asks us to likewise be witnesses of His peace.”
May we live all our days abiding in God with love.