We celebrate this Feast of All Souls. There is no better place we could be than right here at Mass.
We celebrate the Feast of All Souls to pray for the poor souls in purgatory. It is one of the gifts that God has given to us is to have the ability to do that. As we celebrate, the Mass is the most powerful prayer that we have. Try to remember those that have gone before you and to offer you Mass for their intentions. It is not only good to offer Mass for them but also to pray continuously throughout the day today. Maybe find a way to pray the rosary or another devotion and then fast as well because when we fast, it even strengthens our prayer more. In a few moments, we will light these candles to honor your loved ones.
We hear in the Second Reading that they shall spark and shine like the stars of those in heaven, and so we pray that that may happen. That the lighting of this candle, their light may glow so that God may see the good deeds that they have done.
May this All Souls Day be truly a time for us to honor those that we have loved and have gone before us. Pray for them and continue to hold tight to them.
There is a beautiful line in the funeral liturgy that says, “For those of us who believe, life is changed, not ended.” That life that you had with them continues on. It’s different now, it’s changed, but it has not ended.
There is also another line that talks about the soul, that the thread that connects that soul to us in our lives is not broken.
Maybe today, you will feel the gentle tug of your loved one. Maybe today you are praying for them, and your memory of them will help them progress towards heaven, and may this day truly be about All Souls. We pray for them and that one day soon, they may intercede for us.
