All Souls Day

Pope Benedict XVI, wrote: “I would go so far as to say that if there was no purgatory, then we would have to invent it, for who would dare to say of him/herself that he or she was able to stand directly before God”. He goes on to say that purgatory means God can put the pieces back together again that we presumably have broken off by our sins.

This is the feast we celebrate today, a remembrance of friends and loved ones who have passed away. This day follows All Saints Day in order to shift the focus from those in heaven to those in purgatory. This feast reminds us of our obligation to live holy lives; to live the way God has told us to live in the Scriptures.

Let us pause for a time today and remember all of those who in the past have had a significant difference in our lives, who were good people, and ask God to receive them into his Kingdom.

May the souls of all the faithful departed rest in peace. Amen.