Isaiah 25:6-9; Psalm 27; Romans 5:5-11; Matthew 11:25-30
In our first reading from the prophet Isaiah we read that the Lord of Hosts will destroy Death for ever. We know that Jesus Christ has triumphed over death and yet people still die. While our earthly body may die, our soul does not. The souls of our brothers and sister that has not come to their eternal desire – paradise need our prayer to enter heaven. Every soul longs to be with God and so the Psalmist asked; when can I enter and see the face of God? By our prayers and faith such souls can enter into heaven.
The commemoration of all the faithful departed is celebrated by the Church on November 2. The theological basis for the feast is the doctrine that the souls which, on departing from the body are not perfectly cleansed from venial sins, or have not fully atoned for past transgressions, are debarred from the Beatific Vision, and that the faithful on earth can help them by prayers, almsgiving and especially the sacrifice of the Mass.
In the gospel text from St Matthew we see Jesus praising the Father in heaven for revealing the mysteries to children rather than to the learned and the clever. Purgatory is a revealed truth. The text concludes with Jesus calling to him all those who are overburdened. Matthew is reminding us that the way of Jesus Christ is a way of fulfillment at the end of which is eternal life and a time of rest which will never end. Only if we trust God like little children and act accordingly can we enter the Kingdom of heaven. If we try to understand the mysteries of the faith by adult reasoning, then we risk missing out on a deep and meaningful relationship with God. May the souls of all the faithful departed through the mercy of God rest in peace amen.
