It is our tradition, as it is in many parishes, to offer an annual Mass of Remembrance for those who died in the last year. Here is my homily for our Mass of Remembrance this year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
All Souls\u2019 Day \u2013 Annual Mass of Remembrance
Wisdom 3:1-9
Psalm 23
Philippians 3:20-21
John 11:17-27
November 2, 2022<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Losing a loved one is often a difficult time. If they suffer a serious illness or weak from aging, it can seem like a great affliction \u201cand their going forth from us, utter destruction<\/em>.\u201d That is, unless we have faith.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If we have faith in God, if we have faith in Jesus, then we know that there is eternal life. Jesus told Martha that Lazarus would rise. All who believe in Jesus as \u201cthe way and the truth and the life<\/em>\u201d can share in the Resurrection. Knowing this, we have \u201chope full of immortality<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Yesterday we celebrated All Saints\u2019 Day. We ask the saints to pray for us in Heaven. Today we celebrate All Souls\u2019 Day. We can pray for our deceased loved ones at anytime but today is a special day to pray for them. We come together to pray in sorrow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When your loved one died, just as \u201cmany of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to comfort them about their brother<\/em>\u201d people offered you words of comfort.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When your loved one died, we celebrated a funeral. In celebrating a funeral, we certainly pray for the family who is mourning. We must not forget that at a funeral we pray for our deceased loved one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Why pray for them?\u00a0 We pray that they be cleansed in Purgatory of the remnant of their sins.\u00a0 Purgatory does not change their sins.\u00a0 God\u2019s forgiveness comes in the Sacrament of Reconciliation before we die.\u00a0 Yet, sin has an effect on us.\u00a0 To be welcomed into Heaven, we must be healed of that effect.\u00a0 As Paul writes to the Philippians, Jesus \u201cwill change our lowly body to conform with his glorified body.<\/em>\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n When we pray for the dead, we are praying that God remove the remnant of their sins quickly and welcome them into Heaven. When we have Masses said for our deceased loved ones, we are placing the souls of the just in the hand of God, offering the sacrifice of Jesus for them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Heaven is what we are created for. As Paul writes, \u201cOur citizenship is in heaven.<\/em>\u201d There lies our hope.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Still, the passing of a loved one is not easy. For some here tonight, it has been a year since your loved one passed. For others only a month. We all grieve differently. Even two people who are sitting right next to each other grieving for the same person may be at different points in their grieving. That\u2019s okay. There is not one set way to grieve as we walk in the \u201cdark valley<\/em>\u201d of death.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We do not grieve alone. First and foremost, the Lord is at our side. Remember, Jesus wept at the death of his friend Lazarus. In our grief we count on the Lord as our shepherd to refresh our soul. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The Lord comforts us with words of hope. <\/p>\n\n\n\n After Lazarus had died, Jesus told Martha, \u201cI am the resurrection and the life; whoever believes in me, even if he dies, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die.<\/em>\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n When we bury our loved one, these words of Jesus are used to introduce the prayers of intercessions at the burial.\u00a0 These are not random words.\u00a0 These are words of hope.\u00a0 Our loved one has passed but their life is not over.<\/p>\n\n\n\n These are words we needed to hear when our loved one passed. They are words we need to hear whenever we find ourselves lamenting the loss of our loved one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In your grieving know that the Lord is with you. As fellow Christians, we do not want you to feel alone. We send out grief support materials. Tonight, in our support for you we come together as we offer this Mass for all who have died in the last year. As we pray for them, we also pray for you.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" It is our tradition, as it is in many parishes, to offer an annual Mass of Remembrance for those who died in the last year. Here is my homily for our Mass of Remembrance this year. All Souls\u2019 Day \u2013 Annual Mass of RemembranceWisdom 3:1-9Psalm 23Philippians 3:20-21John 11:17-27November 2, 2022 Losing a loved one is …<\/p>\n