Reading 1 Wis 3:1-9
The souls of the just are in the hand of God,
and no torment shall touch them.
They seemed, in the view of the foolish, to be dead;
and their passing away was thought an affliction
and their going forth from us, utter destruction.
But they are in peace.
For if before men, indeed, they be punished,
yet is their hope full of immortality;
chastised a little, they shall be greatly blessed,
because God tried them
and found them worthy of himself.
As gold in the furnace, he proved them,
and as sacrificial offerings he took them to himself.
In the time of their visitation they shall shine,
and shall dart about as sparks through stubble;
they shall judge nations and rule over peoples,
and the LORD shall be their King forever.
Those who trust in him shall understand truth,
and the faithful shall abide with him in love:
because grace and mercy are with his holy ones,
and his care is with his elect.
Responsorial Psalm Ps 23:1-3a, 3b-4, 5, 6
R. (1) The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
or:
R. Though I walk in the valley of darkness, I fear no evil, for you are with me.
The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
In verdant pastures he gives me repose;
beside restful waters he leads me;
he refreshes my soul.
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
or:
R. Though I walk in the valley of darkness, I fear no evil, for you are with me.
He guides me in right paths
for his name's sake.
Even though I walk in the dark valley
I fear no evil; for you are at my side
with your rod and your staff
that give me courage.
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
or:
R. Though I walk in the valley of darkness, I fear no evil, for you are with me.
You spread the table before me
in the sight of my foes;
You anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
or:
R. Though I walk in the valley of darkness, I fear no evil, for you are with me.
Only goodness and kindness follow me
all the days of my life;
and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD
for years to come.
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
or:
R. Though I walk in the valley of darkness, I fear no evil, for you are with me.
Reading 2 Rom 5:5-11
Hope does not disappoint,
because the love of God has been poured out into our hearts
through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us.
For Christ, while we were still helpless,
died at the appointed time for the ungodly.
Indeed, only with difficulty does one die for a just person,
though perhaps for a good person
one might even find courage to die.
But God proves his love for us
in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us.
How much more then, since we are now justified by his Blood,
will we be saved through him from the wrath.
Indeed, if, while we were enemies,
we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son,
how much more, once reconciled,
will we be saved by his life.
Not only that,
but we also boast of God through our Lord Jesus Christ,
through whom we have now received reconciliation.
Or Rom 6:3-9
Brothers and sisters:
Are you unaware that we who were baptized into Christ Jesus
were baptized into his death?
We were indeed buried with him through baptism into death,
so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead
by the glory of the Father,
we too might live in newness of life.
For if we have grown into union with him through a death like his,
we shall also be united with him in the resurrection.
We know that our old self was crucified with him,
so that our sinful body might be done away with,
that we might no longer be in slavery to sin.
For a dead person has been absolved from sin.
If, then, we have died with Christ,
we believe that we shall also live with him.
We know that Christ, raised from the dead, dies no more;
death no longer has power over him.
Gospel Jn 6:37-40
Jesus said to the crowds:
"Everything that the Father gives me will come to me,
and I will not reject anyone who comes to me,
because I came down from heaven not to do my own will
but the will of the one who sent me.
And this is the will of the one who sent me,
that I should not lose anything of what he gave me,
but that I should raise it on the last day.
For this is the will of my Father,
that everyone who sees the Son and believes in him
may have eternal life,
and I shall raise him on the last day."
Meditation: Psalm 23:1-6
All Souls
I will dwell in the house of the Lord for years to come. (Psalm 23:6)
How do you look at death? Do you view it with dread, or as a passage from one beautiful life to one even more beautiful? As we recall all those who have gone before us, today is a good time to think about these “last things.”
Fortunately, today’s Scripture readings provide great comfort. In no uncertain terms, they promise everlasting life to those who trust in God and believe in Jesus (Wisdom 3:9; John 6:40). Even if we aren’t perfect by the time of our passing, God has provided us with the gift of Purgatory, where all the sin that still clings to us will be burned away by the purifying fire of God’s love. And then we will finally see our Lord face-to-face!
While it’s only natural to fear death, for some people this fear is so great that it casts a shadow over their lives. But for those who try their best to “dwell in the house of the Lord” during their earthly lives, the next life is simply a continuation of the one they live now —a life of communion with our Father.
So how do we dwell in our Father’s house? Of course, we need to go to church —but that’s only part of the calling. We can be with God all the time! Through baptism, his Spirit dwells in us. We may not be able to see God, but we can sense his Spirit at work in us, guiding us, reassuring us, and pouring his love on us (Romans 5:5).
So cast off your fear of death! In faith, begin to live eternal life right now: through prayer, Scripture, and the Eucharist; through serving God and building his kingdom on earth; and through heartfelt obedience to his word. On this day of All Souls, rejoice with the angels —as you will in heaven —that you have a Savior who has opened the gates of heaven for you!
“Father, I eagerly await the day when I can see you face-to-face. Until then, I want to dwell with you more deeply. Take away my fear of death, and fill me with the hope of eternal life.”
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