Pray for the dead

The Commemoration of all of the Faithful Departed

Yesterday (1st November 2014), we celebrated the Solemnity of all Saints. It is very significant and appropriate that after the Solemnity of All Saints, the Liturgy has us celebrate the Commemoration of all of the Faithful Departed. The "communion of saints", which we profess in the Creed, is a reality that is constructed here below, but is fully made manifest when we will see God "as he is" (I Jn 3:2).

Today the Church calls us to pray for the dead, since we believe death does not necessarily mean immediate entry into heaven or hell. However, Protestant theology typically rejects the idea of Purgatory entirely. Protestants would consistently reject certain things connected to the doctrine of Purgatory. Numerous justification given by the Protestant are by faith alone, the fate of the dead should not be affected by their suffering nor by the prayers and other works of the living. They also rejected the role for church here- in granting indulgences and so forth. All of this comes from the "usual" Biblical basis for those Protestant doctrines, without specifically addressing Purgatory. 

Purgatory is, according to the Catholic Church teaching, the state or place of purification or temporary punishment by which those who die in a state of grace are believed to be made ready for the Beatific Vision in Heaven. 

There are few biblical reference in regards to this. The Bible indicates this when Paul mentions the Corinthian practice of baptizing the dead by proxy (1 Cor 15:29). Also, Judas' providing sacrifices for the dead is considered "excellent and noble" (2 Mc 12:43). In addition to these Scriptural references, the Holy Spirit has taught believers over the centuries to pray for the dead and has confirmed this practice by repeated prophecies. 

It is the reality of a family bound together by deep bonds of spiritual solidarity that unites the faithful departed to those who are pilgrims in the world. It is a mysterious but real bond, nourished by prayer and participation in the Sacrament of the Eucharist. In the Mystical Body of Christ, the souls of the faithful meet, overcoming the obstacle of death; they pray for one another, carrying out in charity an intimate exchange of gifts. In this dimension of faith one understands the practice of offering prayers of suffrage for the dead, especially in the Sacrament of the Eucharist, memorial of Christ's Pasch which opened to believers the passage to eternal life. 

In today's commemoration of the Faithful Departed, it is a great time for us to ponder and reflect on this: Is your hope in this present life only? What about the life to come after our physical death? God puts in the heart of every living person the desire for unending life and happiness. While physical death claims each of us at the appointed time, God gives us something which death cannot touch - his own divine life and sustaining power. 

Jesus made an incredible promise to his disciples and a claim which only God can make and deliver: Whoever sees and believes in Jesus, the Son of God, shall have everlasting life and be raised up at the last day (John 6:40)! The Lord makes his presence known to us in the reading of his word, in the breaking of the bread, and in his church, the body of Christ. 

Jesus also reveals himself in many countless ways to those who seek him with eyes of faith. When we read the word of God in the Bible Jesus speaks to us and he reveals to us the mind and heart of our heavenly Father. When we approach the table of the Lord, Jesus offers himself as spiritual food which produces the very life of God within us (I am the bread of life, John 6:35). He promises unbroken fellowship and freedom from the fear of being forsaken or cut off from everlasting life with God. And he offers us the hope of sharing in his resurrection - abundant life without end. So now, do you recognize the Lord's presence in your life and do you long for the day when you will see him face to face? 

We need Saints

Solemnity of All Saints

Today we celebrate the Solemnity of All saints. It would seem unfair to single out one single saint where our feast calls for us to contemplate the whole plethora of them- the entire sanctoral pantheon of heaven. St. Pope John Paul II, who recently canonized by Pope Francis, often being accused of operating a "factory of saints." He refuted the claim that we have "too many" saints. During his 26 years of pontificate, he named more saints and blessed than all his predecessors combined. He celebrated 147 beatification ceremonies, during which he proclaimed 1,338 blessed and performed 51 canonisations for a total of 482 saints. Now, one of you may ask why should our praise and glorification, or even the celebration of this feast day mean anything to the saints? What do they care about earthly honours when their heavenly Father honours them by fulfilling their faithful promise of the Son? What does our commendation mean to them? 

The saints have no need of honour from us; neither does our devotion add the slightest thing to what is theirs. Clearly, if we venerate their memory, it serves us, not them. According to the Prefect Emeritus of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, Cardinal Jose Saraiva, there were three principal reasons for Saint Pope John Paul II enthusiasm in seeing the beatification of saints or the beautification of the church.

First, the Pope gave was that he, by beatifying so many Servants of God, did no more than implement the Second Vatican Council, which vigorously reaffirmed that holiness is the essential mark of the church; that the Church is holy: ONE, HOLY, CATHOLIC, APOSTOLIC (4 marks of the church). Saint Pope John Paul II said that if the Church of Christ is not holy, it isn't the Church of Christ, the true Church of Christ, the one he desired and founded to continue his mission throughout the centuries. Therefore, he added, holiness is what is most important in the Church. What better way to demonstrate this by highlighting and presenting to all Catholics many models of holiness in the form of saints?

Second, the extraordinary ecumenical importance of holiness. In the Pope's Agenda for the Third Millennium, the Pope said that the holiness of the saints, blessed and martyrs is perhaps the most convincing form of ecumenism, because holiness has its ultimate foundation in Christ, in whom the Church is not divided. Therefore, the ecumenism we all want calls for many saints, so that the convincing ecumenism of holiness is placed in the candelabrum of the holiness of the Church.

The third reason was that "the saints and blessed manifest the charity of a local church." Saint Pope John Paul II correctly noted that local churches are far more numerous than in the 10 centuries. Therefore, we shouldn't be surprised that there are also more saints, more blessed who express and manifest the holiness of these increased local churches. 

Today, let us praise and thank God for the little saints, past and present - even the saints that are present in our midst. Each of you have your baptism name, a name of a saint. Today is everyone's feast day. Happy Feast Day to one and all of you!