Meditation for All Souls Day (text)
Let not your hearts be troubled, Jesus tells us today. You believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms (Jn 14:1-2). The commemoration of all the faithful departed offers us the opportunity to reconsider the reality of eternal life, to direct our affections towards the hope of the definitive encounter with true and never-ending love.
The topics in the this meditation are: Jesus promises us a home in heaven; the souls in purgatory and our intercession for them; the souls in purgatory: mutual help.
Meditation for All Souls Day (audio)
In the month of November, we recall the deep bond we have (known as the communion of saints) with the three branches of the Church: the Church militant, the Church triumphant, and the Church suffering. Here on earth we are part of the Church militant, working out our salvation. We pray for the Church suffering, the souls in purgatory, undergoing final purification. And we enjoy the help and prayers of the Church triumphant, the souls in heaven. Let us deepen and foster these ties, supernatural bonds, rooted in our Lord Jesus Christ.
It is only natural that, when faced with death, anxiety and uncertainty prevail. And even fear. It is the final moment, the one for which we have always been preparing and that we know will come to all of us one day. In this context, Jesus asks us to trust him, to believe in him, since he will not abandon us at that moment and he will take us to his heavenly abode. That is why Jesus is the Way, because it is not we who know how to reach heaven. It is He who leads us.
Doctrinal questions
- What is the communion of saints?
- The Last Things: what happens at the end of life?
- On the need to pray for those who have died