Pastor’s Corner for the Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B, by Fr. Russell Pollitt SJ

November: We remember our faithful departed

 

On the 1 November, the Catholic Church observes All Soul’s Day. This day is also known as the Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed. This day is dedicated to honouring and remembering the souls of all deceased individuals – especially those we have shared life with and loved.

 

All Souls’ Day observance originated in the early medieval period, with the official designation coming from the 11th century. On this day, Catholics pray for all those who have passed away.

 

Many parishes hold special Masses on All Souls’ Day, during which the names of deceased loved ones are placed on the altar, and the Mass is offered for them. It is customary for families to visit cemeteries to pray for their departed and to decorate graves with flowers and candles. In some places, Masses are celebrated in cemeteries.

 

All Souls’ Day follows All Saints’ Day (1 November). We honour all the holy men and women, known and unknown, who are now with the Lord. (In South Africa the Bishop’s Conference have moved the celebration of all Saints to the nearest Sunday, so that is why it is celebrated in this order and not as is the tradition) Together, these two days form a time of remembrance and reflection on life, death, and the communion of saints.

 

This tradition emphasizes the importance of community and shared faith in supporting those who have passed away and the belief in the interconnectedness of the living and the deceased within the body of Christ. For Christians life does not end. We live in a new way, after earthly death, in the presence of the Lord and all those holy men and women who are with God.

 

You may have lost a loved one, a friend, or a colleague in the last year. Maybe you lost someone a little while back and feel you have not had the time to reflect on their life and pray for them.

 

You are all invited to join us for Holy Mass on Saturday, 2 November, at 17h30 at Holy Trinity. We will celebrate the traditional All Soul’s solemn liturgy. This will include chants from the Gregorian Missa Pro Defunctis and the Pie Jesu from Faure’s Requiem. This is not the Sunday Mass (All Saint’s Day).

 

We will also have a special prayer in the Garden of Remembrance, remembering all those whose names are inscribed there.

 

For the whole month of November, we will remember our dead at all Masses. Their names, inscribed in the pious list, will be placed on the altar at each Mass.

 

I encourage you to come to Holy Mass for All Souls on Saturday. This is one way we not only remember those who have gone before us but also commend our own lives to the Lord. One day, we, too, will be with him. It is good for us to stop, reflect, and maybe ask ourselves if we are living lives that reflect God’s glory now.