ALL SOULS DAY
Proverbs, Chapter
16, Verse 6
By steadfast
loyalty guilt is expiated, and by the fear
of the LORD evil is avoided.
This verse is a language of worship to express what
is acceptable or not to God, so this saying uses similar language to declare
that lovingly loyal conduct undoes the effects of sin.[1]
It
is loving loyality to remember and honor the dead.
ALL SOULS DAY is the annual commemoration of
all those souls who departed this life in the grace and favor of God but who
are still detained in purgatory. Purgatory is that third place in the other
world in which the souls of the departed suffer the temporal punishment of
those sins for which in life they have not sufficiently atoned, and in which
they are purified until they are worthy to appear in the presence of God.
How can we assist the souls
suffering in purgatory?
1. By our prayers. The Holy Scripture says; It is a holy and a wholesome thought
to pray for the dead, that they may be loosed from sins. The Catholic Church
has therefore always taught that the prayer of the faithful for the departed is
holy and wholesome. 2. By the holy sacrifice of the Mass, the fruits of which
are most beneficial to the souls in purgatory. For this reason holy Church has
always, from the time of the apostles, remembered the dead in the holy Mass. 3.
By gaining indulgences, and other good works, by which we supplicate God to
show mercy to the souls of the suffering, to accept what is performed by us in
satisfaction for the punishment to be endured by them, and to bring them into
the kingdom of everlasting peace and light. (Goffine’s Devout Instructions,
1896)
Though I walk in the valley of darkness, I fear no evil, for you are with me.
An excellent book on purgatory, by Rev. F.X.
Schouppe, S.J., entitled, Purgatory is
worth checking out; after the death of my own father reading it brought me much
consolation.
Families travel, often at great distance and in
their best apparel, to visit the graves of friends and relatives, lighting
candles, bringing flowers, and kneeling there in prayer. Processions can be
conducted where the priest leads the congregation in litanies for the dead and
blesses the graves with holy water. Often times these graves are decorated and
groomed the week before, so that when the day of commemoration comes,
everything is suitably prepared.
The
"Octave" of the Dead
The Church has never instituted an octave for All
Souls' Day (though prior to 1955 it had one for All Saints' Day). Nevertheless,
popular piety has extended all of the afore-mentioned customs over an eight day
period. The Church has encouraged this in at least one way: it grants a plenary
indulgence, under the usual conditions, to anyone who visits cemeteries from
November 1 to 8.
The Day of the Dead is also a traditional time for
penance and charity. Giving food to the poor, for
example, is a popular corporal work of mercy on All Souls' Day.
·
Do
pious practices to help the Poor Souls: attend three Masses for the Poor Souls
on this day; remember your family and friends who are deceased and make an
extra sacrifice for them; pray the rosary for the most forgotten soul in
purgatory.
·
The
faithful who visit a cemetery to pray for the faithful departed, saying the
Lord's Prayer and the Creed (even if only mentally), may gain a plenary
indulgence once only under the usual conditions: sacramental confession (eight
days before or after the act), Eucharistic Communion on that day, and prayer
for the Pope's intentions (usually one Our Father and Hail Mary as minimum).
Each day between November 1 and November 8, this gains a plenary indulgence
that can only be applied to the poor souls in purgatory. Any other time of year
this gains a partial indulgence. See Praying
for the Dead and Gaining Indulgences During November for more information
about indulgences for the Poor Souls.
·
There
is also solemn commemoration to be used on All Souls. See Visiting
a Cemetery on All Souls Day, Memorial Day, or on the Anniversary of Death or
Burial.
·
Make
a nice poster listing all the family and friends departed. Put this on display
where the members of the family can be reminded to pray for the loved ones
throughout November. Remind family members to offer extra prayers and
sacrifices for the poor souls in purgatory. Of course this shouldn't be the
only motivation, but do include the fact that after these souls reach heaven,
they will intercede on your behalf.
·
Read
the Directory
on Popular Piety and the Liturgy and the section entitled "The
Memorial of the Dead in Popular Piety." Of particular note:
The Christian, who must be conscious of and familiar
with the idea of death, cannot interiorly accept the phenomenon of the
"intolerance of the dead," which deprives the dead of all acceptance
in the city of the living. Neither can he refuse to acknowledge the signs of
death, especially when intolerance and rejection encourage a flight from
reality, or a materialist cosmology, devoid of hope and alien to belief in the
death and resurrection of Christ.
Some suggested devotions from the Directory
(in accordance with time, place and tradition, popular devotions to the dead
take on a multitude of forms):
·
the
novena for the dead in preparation for 2 November, and the octave prolonging
it, should be celebrated in accordance with liturgical norms;
·
visits
to the cemetery; in some places this is done in a community manner on 2
November, at the end of the parochial mission, when the parish priest takes
possession of the parish; visiting the cemetery can also be done privately,
when the faithful go to the graves of their own families to maintain them or
decorate them with flowers and lamps. Such visits should be seen as deriving from
the bonds existing between the living and the dead and not from any form of
obligation, non-fulfilment of which involves a superstitious fear;
·
membership
in a confraternity or other pious association whose objects include
"burial of the dead" in the light of the Christian vision of death,
praying for the dead, and providing support for the relatives of the dead;
·
suffrage
for the dead through alms deeds, works of mercy, fasting, applying indulgences,
and especially prayers, such as the De profundis, and the formula Requiem aeternam
[Eternal Rest], which often accompanies the recitation of the Angelus, the
rosary, and at prayers before and after meals.
·
Have
family discussions about death, preparing for death, funerals, and the
Sacrament of the Sick. Visit the cemetery with children. Visits to the cemetery
should be uplifting, calm and peaceful, not a scary event.
·
From
the Catholic Culture library:
For
many more documents search the library for "purgatory."
·
In
many places this day centers around the family departed and the cemetery.
Families go to gravesites, clean them, decorate them, add candles. This can be
an all day affair, with picnics and celebration. Of particular note is the Dia
de los Muertos or the Day of the Dead, celebration in Mexico on November 2.
One could say this is the "Mexican Halloween." For more information
on this Catholic holiday, see Mexico Connect
for a variety of links for information. Please note that as with many holidays,
there is much commercialism and secularism. Read Directory
on Popular Piety and the Liturgy to understand the harmony that piety
and devotions must have with the Liturgy.
Deeply rooted cultural elements connoting particular
anthropological concepts are to be found among the customs and usages connected
with the "cult of the dead" among some peoples. These often spring
from a desire to prolong family and social links with the departed. Great
caution must be used in examining and evaluating these customs. Care should be
taken to ensure that they are not contrary to the Gospel. Likewise, care should
be taken to ensure that they cannot be interpreted as pagan residues.
- Visit
the cemetery where your loved ones are buried and light a candle. This is
exactly what the holiday is meant to celebrate and it is also very common
for people to do on All Souls’ Day.
- Watch
a movie about All Souls’ Day or Christianity. Some of our favourites are: All
Soul’s Day (2005), Passion of the Christ (2004), and Raising
the Undead (2006).
- Spread
awareness on social media by using the hashtag #AllSoulsDay,
#HonourTheDead and #HeavenAwaits.
- Create
an alter in memory of a loved one. This can be done within your home and
typically uses pictures of the person, candles, flowers and any other
sentimental pieces.
- Prepare
a meal in memory of a deceased family member. In many countries, it is
customary to prepare this meal and it is believed that the dead return to
consume the food.
WASHINGTON—Cardinal
Daniel N DiNardo of Galveston-Houston, President of the United States
Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), has issued the following statement in
response to this Holloweens deadly attack on innocent people in Manhattan that
has left at least eight people dead.
Cardinal
DiNardo's full statement follows:
"This
afternoon we heard of what appears to be a deliberate attack on innocent people
in New York City. This horrendous act weighs on all of our hearts. Reports
about the attack are too preliminary to understand fully what has happened, but
it grieves me deeply that we must again respond to such acts of terror. To the
family and friends of those who have died, please know that you are not alone,
and that the prayers of the Bishops and of all the Church are with you and your
loved ones. To you and to everyone, I would like to say that the forces of
darkness always try to wipe away our hope; but our hope is in the name of the
Lord and will always remain firm. Let us remember the words of the Lord to
prophet Joshua: be strong and steadfast! Do not fear nor be dismayed, for the LORD, your God, is with you wherever
you go."
Daily
Devotions
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