The souls of the just are in the hand of God, and no torment shall touch them (Wisdom 3:1).
Another interpretation is righteous. The just, the righteous, have been purified from all stain of the sin by the loving flame of the Holy Spirit, restored to their original glory, perfected in their participation in the life and death of Jesus, and have been reconciled to the Father for all eternity. They are the saints we honored and venerated yesterday during the Solemnity of All Saints.Today we commemorate, we remember, and we pray for the souls in purgatory. They are still being purified or made righteous. As Jesus said, “I will not reject anyone who comes to me.” Jesus became one with us in our humanity so that we can become one with him in his divinity. He was sent to do his Father’s will, which Jesus stated is “that everyone who sees the Son and believes in him will have eternal life, and I will raise him on the last day.”
During every Mass the priest and those participating in the Mass pray for, as is stated in Eucharistic Prayer I, “all those who have gone before us with the sign of faith and rest in the sleep of peace.” Our hope is that in Jesus all will come to know and be saved by Jesus.
The beauty of the liturgical year is that we have special days of solemnities and remembrance to recall the core tenets of our faith. We can review and deepen our commitment to what we believe and who we believe in. Today, and for the month of November, we place a special emphasis of praying for our departed brothers and sisters that they may enter the kingdom of heaven for all eternity.
May we make a special effort this month to pray for those who have died for whom we hold close to our hearts as well as all the souls in purgatory. May we also with intentionality speak words of kindness and encouragement and engage in acts of love on behalf of those we are praying for.
Remember, by our baptism we are priests. That means during Mass, when we hear the ordained priest say one of the four prayers for the dead such as found in Eucharistic Prayer IV: “Remember also those who have died in the peace of your Christ and all the dead, whose faith you alone have known.” Bring to mind those for whom you would like to pray that they may be granted entrance into heaven.
Photo: As I do each day, but adding a few extra today, I remember and pray for JoAnn, my heart.
Spiritual Stepping Stones 