All Souls' Day
- Part 1 -

Ts Matthew Holyson Monsang *

"No one can confidently say that he will still be living tomorrow." - Euripides

Today around the globe the Christians do observe 'All Souls Day' of their beloved deceased family and friends. It is a time when families fondly remember the deceased, not with long faces and gloom but by recalling and sharing memories of happy times. It is a day to pray for their souls for their inheritance of the Kingdom of God.

With this All Souls Day or the Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed, the Christians usually visit on the previous day the cemeteries to clean the graves of their beloved ones for the observance of the celebration (All Souls Day).

In this reverence, the dead leaves are swept away, graves covered with stone have been washed or white washed and those with mud mounds have been reshaped. Then fresh flowers and the candles are placed over their tombs to mark the occasion for the Christian Community and the special prayers are made for the deceased on this day.

The observance of All Souls Day was not only held in the cemeteries but also carry out in the Churches. Years after years, thousands of our beloved ones and friends have left for their heavenly abode. Leaving this temporal world by our near and dear ones, we get shocked and trembled.

As the Scripture says, "for out of it you were taken; you are dust, and to dust you shall return." (Genesis 3:19) and "Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house there are many dwelling places. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you?" (John 14:1-2).

For Christians death implies the eternal life. Death does not bring end for our beloved and dear ones. Thereby, we constantly pray for them in every liturgy or the church service for their attainment of eternal salvation.

The song 'This World Is Not My Home; I'm just a-passing through… ' Lyrics by Jim Reeves also reminds us of our mortality. He also reminds us in the chorus line of the song that there is heaven, 'O Lord, you know I have no friend like you, if heaven's not my home, Then Lord what will I do." But, no doubt if we believe in God, our heavenly Father is preparing for us a home in heaven (John 14).

As Christians Commemorated All the Faithful Departed on November 2, it reminds everyone that life has departure and separation from the living human being and there is a communion and a reunion. When we die, we are not separated from one another, because we all run the same course and we will find one another again in the same place (Heaven). We shall never be separated, for we live for Christ, and now we are united with Christ as we go toward him. We shall all be together in Christ.

"On this day is observed the commemoration of the faithful departed, in which our common and pious Mother the Church, immediately after having endeavored to celebrate by worthy praise all her children who already rejoice in heaven, strives to aid by her powerful intercession with Christ, her Lord and Spouse, all those who still groan in purgatory, so that they may join as soon as possible the inhabitants of the heavenly city." — Roman Martyrology

Every Catholic priest is permitted to say three Masses on this day. (Apostolic Constitution of Pope Benedict XV, 10 August 1915; GIRM 204 d) And it would be a good practice for the laity to attend three Masses and offer them for the Poor Souls. The visits to the cemetery should not be a scary event but should be inspiring, calm and peaceful.

Such visits should be seen as deriving from the bonds between the living and the dead and not from any form of obligation, non-fulfillment of which involves a superstitious fear. The families can also visit the cemetery privately to pray for their beloved ones.

The visit of the deceased on 'All Souls Day' should not be the only motivation, but do include the fact that after these souls reach heaven, they will intercede on our behalf. Praying for the deceased souls reminds us that human existence does not end at physical death. Therefore, salvation is the foremost concern for the Christians.

The Particular Judgment: The Parable of Jesus Christ – 'The Rich Man and Lazarus' (Luke 16:19-31) was one of the episode for the Judgment after dead. The words of Christ on the cross to the good thief, "Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in Paradise", (Luke 23:43) affirms each and every faithful that each will be rewarded immediately after the death in accordance with his works and faith.

"And just as it is appointed for mortals to die once, and after that the judgment." (Hebrews 9:27). The New Testament texts speak of a final destiny of the soul – a destiny which can be different for some and for others.

Heaven: The Christians believe that life after death is heaven. But to attain heaven is not an effortless march. We believe that heaven is a place where God lives or the throne of God. To live with Christ we need perfection so that the new earth is spotless for every faultless faithful.

How blessed would it be a faithful to die in God's grace and friendship. Heaven is a place where no hunger, thirst, death or sickness exists. Those who die in God's grace and friendship and are perfectly purified live for ever with Christ.

To be continued...