All Souls' Day 2017 | The Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed

"The souls of the just are in the hand of God, and no torment shall touch them. They seemed, in the view of the foolish, to be dead; and their passing away was thought an affliction and their going forth from us, utter destruction. But they are in peace." — Wisdom 3:1-3

"On this day [November 2nd] 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)

Monsignor Bernard Bourgeois explains this commemoration: "Eternity with God is the life to which each disciple of Christ aspires. The Second Eucharistic Prayer at Mass asks the Lord to 'welcome them [the faithful departed] into the light of [his] face.' We believe that God welcomes his children to his home, into his very presence. To behold the face of God is the 'stuff' of eternal life. If one can see another’s face, the two people are close together. The same can be said for this image of eternal life. If the departed person has been welcomed into God’s presence, then that person will be close enough to God to behold the light of his face. And that’s eternal life — to behold the face of God for all of eternity."

The Holy Souls in Purgatory

"Purgatory is much more like heaven than hell, for the souls detained there are not in Satan's clutches, but ready for God's loving embrace. They have their pains, but they also have their joys. They have their pains, because they cannot see God, though they are so close to Him. Their knowledge that their sentence is terminating builds up the desire for heaven to such a pitch that the pain of privation is most intense. But there is a mixed feeling. They also have their joy. St. Catherine of Genoa wrote: 'Apart from the happiness of the saints in heaven, I think there is no joy comparable to that of the souls in purgatory.' Their state is such that it is more correct to call them holy souls than poor souls..." [Source]

Collect Prayer for All Souls' Day

Listen kindly to our prayers, O Lord, and, as our faith in your Son, raised from the dead, is deepened, so may our due hope of resurrection for your departed servants also find new strength. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen.