November 2, 2025: The Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed (All Souls Day)

Gospel: John 6:37-40

Jesus said to the crowds: “Everything that the Father gives me will come to me, and I will not reject anyone who comes to me, because I came down from heaven not to do my own will but the will of the one who sent me. And this is the will of the one who sent me, that I should not lose anything of what he gave me, but that I should raise it on the last day. For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in him may have eternal life, and I shall raise him on the last day.”

Reflection

This week, the Roman Catholic Church “interrupts “Ordinary Time to embrace the significance of The Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed (All Souls).

This remembrance is celebrated annually on November 2 and is based on the doctrine that the souls of the faithful, which at death are not ready to enter into the fullness of God, may be helped to do so by prayer and by the celebration of Mass. The practice of praying for the “faithful departed” began as early as the 2nd century.

In 998, St. Odilo of Cluny established the commemoration  within his monastery. And,  it  was made a celebration for the whole Church in the 13th century. Thomas Aquinas (+1274) had offered that  “Divine love is the bond uniting the members of the Church. It extends not only to the living, but also to the dead who die in love. For divine love which is the life of the soul, even as the soul is the life of the body, has no end.”

The challenge for some of us may be  how to read and respond to this particular Gospel while  we hold a tender place in our hearts for our family members and friends who have been called home to God, whether recently or  in the past. In my parish on the first Sunday in November, we have our annual Mass of Remembrance for all our parishioners and their family members who have died since last year’s commemoration.

Our remembrance this year coincides with the actual date of “All Souls” and I will be sensitive to the reactions of those who participate. I  wonder if it will be a source of hope and comfort for the bereaved? Or, is it a painful reminder of the loss?  

I turn to Jesus’ words to formulate my personal response. Jesus affirms once again that the will of God is that he (Jesus) should not lose anything (anyone) of what God gave him, but that he should raise them up on the last day. At the nucleus of God’s will is “that whoever believes in (Jesus) should not perish, but have eternal life.” I believe that  Jesus, as the Incarnate Word  of God, does not abandon us to an abyss of nothingness. His words remind us that he is faithful to his identity and mission. In the words of the prophet Jeremiah, “I have loved you with an everlasting love and so I still maintain my faithful love for you” (Jer 31:3, NJV translation).

I believe that we can find comfort in  trusting that what God creates, God loves; and what God loves, God loves everlastingly. And, that Jesus’ living, dying, and being raised up to new life is our hope for our lives and the lives of our deceased loved ones.

Our lives are eternally connected to God and to one another and in that awareness we all may find comfort and experience love.  In the words of our Saint Mother Theodore Guerin “… nothing can rob you of your joy when you will be reunited to those in heaven from whom you were obliged to be separated on Earth.”

Action

Perhaps pray these words and/or offer your own spontaneous prayer for those who are grieving:  O God of healing and compassion, may I accompany those who are struggling with grief. May I be a gentle presence in their lives, allowing those who are grief-stricken the time and space to heal. I lift up all who are burdened by sadness and grief and pray for God’s healing grace to alight gently upon their hearts. Amen.

Consider listening to a recording  of Michael Joncas’ song I Have Loved You. Although not specifically focused on  the Faithful Departed, it can offer a peaceful and hopeful reminder to the bereaved with the refrain’s words “I have loved you with an everlasting love… and you are mine.”