All Souls Sunday Year A - 2/11/2014 - Gospel: Mt 11:25-30
Saint and souls
The feast of all saints is celebrated on the first day of November and a day after, not the feast but the commemoration of all souls which is on the second of November. They are two separate celebrations but in term of faith the two are related in Christ because the former praised Jesus for the latter by means of pleasing before God for all souls and the latter continues to sustain their hope in God's mercy through our prayers and the pleading of the saints.
Both celebrations express our belief in God with the belief that there is life after death and that life after is a better one than the present one. This present life we make preparation to live after being born but for the faithful the next life we are preparing well in advance before being born into eternal life. Such preparation takes a whole life time on earth and that makes so much difference.
For the faithful the life after is better because we are able to carry forward into the next life the faith and hope and love we have for God and for others. It isn't a good work we carry with us into the next life but it is the response to God's love that accompanies us. In other words this present life is a life we learn to live in love, to receive love from God and to share that love for others and be ready to enjoy the mystery of God's love. The mystery of God's love is being revealed fully in God's kingdom for those who embrace it.
The feast of all saints is the joyful occasion we celebrate annually the faithful who had lived successfully a life of faith and hope and love. We celebrate the saints' triumph in living a life of loving God with all their heart, mind and soul and the second command to love others as oneself. The commandment Jesus gave is achievable with God's grace.
The commemoration of all souls is more than the charitable act but with faith and love and expression through prayers we annually remember for all souls who for one way or another had failed to live a life of loving God and sharing God's love for neighbours. We commemorate all the dead and remember our love ones and pray for them. We make petitions to God's mercy on their behalf. We asked for God's mercy for their souls. By doing that we firstly make a connection between the faithful who are now living on earth and the suffering souls and that all are united in Jesus Christ, our Saviour who died and rose for us to give us eternal life. Secondly by praying for the death we confirm to ourselves and others that our hope in the loving God is never faded away. For us we are unable to save them in their hopelessness situation but we believe everything is possible to God. Thirdly we pray for the deceased in a way that shows our respect for the deaths and to express our love for our loved one who had gone before us.
Both celebrations express our belief in God with the belief that there is life after death and that life after is a better one than the present one. This present life we make preparation to live after being born but for the faithful the next life we are preparing well in advance before being born into eternal life. Such preparation takes a whole life time on earth and that makes so much difference.
For the faithful the life after is better because we are able to carry forward into the next life the faith and hope and love we have for God and for others. It isn't a good work we carry with us into the next life but it is the response to God's love that accompanies us. In other words this present life is a life we learn to live in love, to receive love from God and to share that love for others and be ready to enjoy the mystery of God's love. The mystery of God's love is being revealed fully in God's kingdom for those who embrace it.
The feast of all saints is the joyful occasion we celebrate annually the faithful who had lived successfully a life of faith and hope and love. We celebrate the saints' triumph in living a life of loving God with all their heart, mind and soul and the second command to love others as oneself. The commandment Jesus gave is achievable with God's grace.
The commemoration of all souls is more than the charitable act but with faith and love and expression through prayers we annually remember for all souls who for one way or another had failed to live a life of loving God and sharing God's love for neighbours. We commemorate all the dead and remember our love ones and pray for them. We make petitions to God's mercy on their behalf. We asked for God's mercy for their souls. By doing that we firstly make a connection between the faithful who are now living on earth and the suffering souls and that all are united in Jesus Christ, our Saviour who died and rose for us to give us eternal life. Secondly by praying for the death we confirm to ourselves and others that our hope in the loving God is never faded away. For us we are unable to save them in their hopelessness situation but we believe everything is possible to God. Thirdly we pray for the deceased in a way that shows our respect for the deaths and to express our love for our loved one who had gone before us.
Written by Fr Vũđình Tường
St Francis Xavier Catholic Parish
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Brisbane Australia
St Francis Xavier Catholic Parish
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Brisbane Australia