2 November 2025 #rememberthedead
Today we remember and celebrate the souls of the faith-full departed who have met Jesus face-to-face… HIs eyes tender with mercy and heart filled with justice. There are a variety of reading options for today. With Fr. Dave on a much-needed silent retreat this past week, I cannot confidently guess which readings he will choose. But there are three things worth noting about this lovely feast.
First, it’s biblically based, naturally. Towards the end of the Old Testament, we read about the Jewish battles to overthrow Greek rule led by Judas Maccabees. In 2 Maccabees 12, we find our warring band of men making their way towards Jerusalem, on the hunt of a very-prepared Gorgias, the cruel Greek governor. The ensuing, albeit successful, battle was fierce; many Jewish men died. Following the ceremonial rest day, Judas and his men gather their fallen comrades to bury them alongside their kindred in ancestral tombs.
Alas! Horror of all horrors! As they prepare the men for burial, they find amulets to the god of Jamnia under their tunics! “Turning to supplication, they prayed that the sinful deed might be fully blotted out.” Judas then takes up a collection to send to Jerusalem as an expiatory sacrifice. “In doing this he acted in a very excellent and noble way, since he had the resurrection in mind; for if he were not expecting the fallen to rise again, it would have been superfluous and foolish to pray for the dead. But if he did this with a view to the splendid reward that awaits those who had gone to rest in godliness, it was a holy and pious thought. Thus, he made atonement for the dead that they might be absolved from their sin.”
A few hundred years later, St. Paul asks for prayers for his friend Onesiphoris (2 Timothy 1:16-18) so we know the tradition of praying for the dead makes its way from Judaism into Christianity.
Second, we can thank the Benedictine Abbot and dear friend of Pope Benedict VIII, St. Odilo, for our official All Souls Day. After a holy pilgrim approaches him with a vision of souls crying out from the fires of purgatory, St. Odilo decrees that his monasteries will begin praying for the dead individually at a Mass. Those making a request should also make a monetary donation to the poor. For his parishioners, most of whom are exceedingly poor themselves, the donation causes a meal to be missed. Therefore, St. Odilo links almsgiving and fasting to praying for the dead. Many years later (11th century) the Church codifies the practice and date. If you want a Mass prayed for a beloved soul no longer on this earth, call the parish office. Like God’s grace, to have a Mass said for your beloved dead is free, but we do have a suggested offering of $7.00/Mass.
Lastly, what does this celebration mean for you and I today? Maybe we start a family tradition of visiting a cemetery and praying for our beloved dead. Perhaps we dedicate a little corner of our homes with photos and candles to honor them too. Try watching the animated film Coco (2017, Disney), an enchanting kid-flick all about the relationship between the living and the dead and the ties that bind. Be creative and be intentional, but most of all: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. #rememberthedead