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All Souls Day

This Sunday the church celebrates the commemoration of All Souls. For one day we set aside the green vestments and altar frontals and replace them with purple. 

If we look at the other two times in the liturgical year that purple is used, it will help us to understand what this commemoration is all about. 

The first is Lent, which has a penitential character. Lent is a time of self-examination, of seeking to realign our lives with the Gospel. The other is Advent, a time of joyful expectation and hope. 

And these two reflect the approach that we take towards All Souls Day. 

The Church teaches that all those who are in a state of grace and friendship with God at the end of their lives are assured of salvation. It also explains that before we reach the fullness of joy in heaven, we need to be cleansed of the imperfections of our sins. 

The more vivid term that the Church sometimes uses is that we are purged of our sins - hence the name purgatory. 

And so, on this day we pray for those that have gone before us. We remember them and the example of faith they set for us. And we pray in hope that they may enter into the joys of heaven through the mercy of God. 

For some of us, this is a discomfiting thought - that our loved ones are somehow still awaiting the fulness of salvation. But what if we view our soul - that which is lasting - in the same way that we do our body. 

Most of us would not flinch at praying for a loved one that is sick, longing for them to be restored to health. In a similar way then, we pray for the healing of their souls, longing that they will be restored to the fullness of relationship with God, and God's promise of eternal life. 

Importantly All Souls Day is not the only time that we do this. It is an integral part of the eucharistic prayer every time we celebrate the Mass. But on this day, we are reminded to pray not only for our own loved ones, but ALL those who have died, including those that may have no-one to pray for them. 

As we gather at around the table of the Lord this Sunday, to remember the sacrifice that has made our salvation possible, let's pay particular attention as we pray 

Remember our brothers and sisters who have fallen asleep in the hope of the resurrection, and all who have died in your mercy: welcome them into the light of your face. 




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