Homily of Saturday of the 30th week in ordinary time.
Commemoration of all souls.
Feast of All Souls
Wisdom 3:1-9, Romans 8:14-23, Mark 15:33-39,16:1-6
The Commemoration of All Souls is a day the church dedicated to praying for the faithful departed. This solemn remembrance calls us to honor and pray for souls in purgatory, seeking God’s mercy for them. Through Masses, prayers, and acts of charity, the living show compassion and hope for the eternal peace of all souls.
A minister of God once shared a personal story that made him realize how the prayers of the living can sometimes aid the dead. As a child, his uncle passed away. The uncle was a devout member of various church societies, so many assumed his soul was at peace. However, the child began seeing his deceased uncle in dreams, asking for prayers, saying he was suffering—perhaps in purgatory. The child didn’t pay much attention at first, praying only briefly. When the same dream happened a second time, he again took it lightly. But the third time, the uncle appeared angrily in his dream, carrying a broom, and chastising him and other family members, shouting, “I told you I am suffering, and you’re ignoring it!”
However, alarmed, the child told his family about the dream. They quickly went to the parish priest, who advised them to book Mass for seven days for their uncle’s soul. After this, the uncle never appeared in their dreams again. The prayers of the living had brought peace between them and their loved one.
In today’s Gospel, we see Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome preparing Jesus’ body with spices to preserve it (Mark 16:1). Similarly, in the Book of Tobit, Tobit respectfully buries the dead (Tobit 1:17, 2:4-5), reminding us of the corporal work of mercy to bury the dead. We can also honor the dead by caring for their graves, bringing flowers, supporting their loved ones, following their last wishes, completing their good works, or simply speaking well of them.
Today, let us remember and help the departed through prayer and care. God will bless us through Christ our Lord. Amen.
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