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2 Mc. 12:43-46 –Judas Maccabeus, victorious in battle, sends funds to Jerusalem as a sacrificial offering for the sins of those fallen in battle. He believes in the resurrection of the dead and hopes that the atonement sacrifice for the dead might help absolve their sin.
Rom 8:31-39
The reading emphasizes Christian confidence rooted in God’s act of salvation through Jesus’ death and resurrection. It highlights God’s commitment, referencing His not sparing His Son and the theological act of surrender. Believers trust in Christ’s salvific work, with the risen Christ giving the Spirit and interceding, forming a unified mystery. Paul discusses how nothing in creation can separate believers from God’s love, even amid hardships and cosmic forces like angels or heavenly bodies. The passage underscores love’s invincibility, surpassing all natural and supernatural powers.
Jn 14:1-6
At the Last Supper, Jesus tells the disciples that in his Father’s house there are many mansions and he is going to prepare a place for them. Then he will return and take them that they might be with him (vv. 1-4). Thomas says that they don’t know the way (v. 5). Jesus answers, “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (v. 6). Philip, in turn, says that they have not seen the Father (v. 😎. Jesus responds, “Whoever has seen me has seen the Father” (v. 39).
The Liturgy of the Word presents themes that connects with the significance of All Souls Day: the resurrection of the dead, the offering of prayers and expiatory sacrifices for sins, and the hope of being with Jesus in heaven. Only through Jesus can we go to the Father. As we remember those who have gone ahead of us, we pray that they may share in the very life of God in heaven. Amen.
*some notes:
“UNDAS” is the term that we, Filipinos, use for the two days of November 1, All Saints Day, and November 2, All Souls Day. Of Spanish origin, it may be the acronym of “UNos Dias de los Almas y de los Santos,” but may actually come from the Spanish, “honras,” honor, as in “honras funebres,” funeral honors. UNDAS is translated as “Araw ng mga Patay,” with the variation “undras,” a term used by Chavacanos.
All Souls Day, the Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed, is a day of prayer and remembrance for the faithful departed. The celebration is rooted in deep traditions and centuries of history. It reflects the Church’s enduring belief in the Communion of Saints and our hope for eternal life.
Our Catholic belief holds that Purgatory is a state where souls undergo purification before entering heaven. “All who die in God’s grace and friendship, but still imperfectly purified, are indeed assured of their eternal salvation; but after death, they undergo purification, so as to achieve the holiness necessary to enter the joy of heaven” (CCC nos 1031, 1032). On All Souls Day, we not only remember the dead, but we apply our efforts through prayer, almsgiving, and Holy Mass, to their release from Purgatory.
The Church devotes the month of November to prayer for the souls in Purgatory.
The rituals of visiting graves and lighting candles are worldwide and offer a powerful way to show love, mercy, and support for the souls in their journey to heaven.
