ALL SOULS DAY-ELECTION DAY
Psalm 78, Verse 53
He led them on secure and UNAFRAID, while the sea enveloped their enemies.
Even in the day God was
kind to rebellious Israel. This psalm is a recital of history to show that past
generations did not respond to God’s gracious deeds and were punished by God making
the gift into a punishment. Will Israel fail to appreciate God’s act—the
choosing of Zion and of David? The tripartite introduction invites Israel to
learn the lessons hidden in its traditions each section ends with the mention
of God’s acts. There are two distinct narratives of approximately equal length:
the wilderness events and the movement from Egypt to Canaan. The structure of
both is parallel: gracious act, rebellion, divine punishment, God’s readiness
to forgive and begin anew. While the Psalm has been thought to reflect the
reunification program of either King Hezekiah (late eighth century) or King
Josiah (late seventh century) in that the Northern Kingdom (Ephraim, Joseph) is
especially invited to accept Zion and the Davidic king, a postexilic setting is
also possible. Notable is the inclusion of the David-Zion tradition into the
history of Israel recounted in the sources of the Pentateuch.[1]
ALL SOULS DAY[2] 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.
Is there
a purgatory?
Yes, it is a doctrine of our faith.
1. Even under the Old Law the Jews held to this belief, and accordingly
Judas Maccabeus sent twelve thousand silver drachmas to Jerusalem to procure
the offering of sacrifices for the dead.
2. Under the New Law Jesus Christ seems to point to such a place (Matt.
v. 26, xii. 32). The apostle Paul writes to the Corinthians: The fire shall try
every man’s work; of what sort it is. If any man’s work abide, which he hath
built thereupon [upon Christ], he shall receive a reward; if any man’s work
burn, he shall suffer loss [by the fire of purgatory], but he himself shall be
saved, yet so as by fire (i. Cor. iii. 13-15). A fire from which a man may be
saved cannot be the fire of hell; for from hell there is no redemption. The
words of St. Paul, therefore, can only be understood of purgatory.
What souls are they that go to purgatory?
The souls of all those who, though dying in the grace of God, have yet
something to atone for. Those persons dying in the grace of God are still
friends of God, and certainly God does not cast those who are His friends into
hell. It is, therefore, as suitable to the idea of God’s mercy as it is
consonant to reason that such souls should be first purified in purgatory.
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.
When and how was this yearly commemoration of the departed introduced?
The time of the introduction of this commemoration cannot be determined;
for as early as the time of Tertullian he mentions that the Christians of his
day held a yearly commemoration of the dead. Towards the end of the tenth
century St. Odo, abbot of the Benedictines, at Cluny, directed this feast to be
celebrated yearly, on the 2d of November, in all the con vents of his Order,
which usage was afterwards enjoined upon the whole Christian world by Pope John
XVI. The feast of this day was probably established in order that, after having
one day before rejoiced over the glory of the saints in heaven, we should this
day remember in love those who are sighing in purgatory for deliverance.
Prayer.
O God, the Creator and Redeemer of all the faithful, grant to the souls
of Thy servants departed the remission of all their sins, that, by our pious
supplications, they may obtain the pardon which they have always desired.
EPISTLE,
i. Cor. xv. 51-57.
Brethren: Behold I tell you a mystery: we shall all indeed rise again,
but we shall not all be changed. In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at
the last trumpet: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall rise again
incorruptible: and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on
incorruption: and this mortal must put on immortality. And when this mortal
hath put on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written:
Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy victory? O death, where
is thy sting? Now the sting of death is sin: and the strength of sin is the law.
But thanks be to God, Who hath given us the victory through Our Lord Jesus
Christ.
GOSPEL. John v. 25-29.
At that time Jesus said to the multitude of the Jews:
Amen, amen, I say unto you, that the hour cometh, and now is, when the dead
shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live. For as
the Father hath life in Himself: so, He hath given to the Son also to have life
in Himself: and He hath given Him power to do judgment, because He is the Son
of man. Wonder not at this, for the hour cometh wherein all that are in the
graves shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that have done good
things shall come forth unto the resurrection of life: but they that have done
evil, unto the resurrection of judgment.
·
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.
Visiting the Dead[3]
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.
Things to
Do[4]
·
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:
o Mystery
of God's Justice and Mercy
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.
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.
More
All Souls’ Day Top Events and Things to Do[5]
·
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 favorites 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.
All Souls' Day (November 2nd) Bread
& Pastry[6]
Baking special breads in honor of the
souls in Purgatory is an ancient custom. All Souls' Bread or Pastry varies
in name, content, and shape depending on country and ethnicity. The All-Souls’
pastry in northern Spain, for example, is called "bones of the holy"
(Huesos de Santo), while the one in Catalonia is referred to as
"little breads" (Panellets). In central Europe the All-Souls’
cakes that are shaped like hares are distributed to little boys while the ones
that are shaped like hens are given to little girls. A similar custom in
western Europe involves the preparing of Soul Food, cooked beans or peas
or lentils, which are then served with some sort of meat dish. Though many of
these culinary practices have a pagan origin (cults of the dead, fertility rites,
etc.), they have been converted to good Christian use. Instead of bribing
malevolent spirits or "feeding" departed love ones, these comestibles
quietly remind us of those who no longer grace our dinner tables but with whom
we one day hope to be united again at the eternal banquet. Further, there is a
laudable custom in which the food that would have gone to feeding one's dearly
departed is instead distributed to the poor. Hungarian Catholics
once even invited orphan children into their homes on All Saints' and All
Souls' Day and gave them new clothes and toys along with generous meals.
Notice: Today is
the Day of the Dead and Election Day: do you think God Knows? I wonder how many
dead slipped in a vote last year.
Election Day[7]
Election
Day refers to the day on which general elections in the United States are held.
Election Day is always held on the first Tuesday in November in the US.
Election Day Facts
& Quotes
·
Elections
held for federal offices only occur on even-numbered years.
·
There
is no law in the Constitution or
Federal mandate which requires electorates to vote in accordance with the
popular vote of their state.
·
Nobody
will ever deprive the American people of the right to vote except the American
people themselves and the only way they could do this is by not voting. -
Franklin D. Roosevelt
·
Let
each citizen remember at the moment he is offering his vote that he is not
making a present or a compliment to please an individual--or at least that he
ought not so to do; but that he is executing one of the most solemn trusts in
human society for which he is accountable to God and his country. - Samuel Adams, The
Writings of Samuel Adams, Harry Alonzo Cushing, editor (New York: G.P. Putnam's
Sons, 1907), Vol. IV, p. 256.
Election Day Top
Events and Things to Do
·
Attend
a local polling place and cast your vote.
·
Be
informed about the candidates and new amendments on the ballot before going to
the polling place.
Remember when you
vote; vote for love of life and not love of money.
2240 Submission
to authority and co-responsibility for the common good make it morally
obligatory to pay taxes, to exercise the right to vote, and to defend one's
country:
Pay to all of them their dues, taxes to
whom taxes are due, revenue to whom revenue is due, respect to whom respect is
due, honor to whom honor is due.
[Christians] reside in their own nations,
but as resident aliens. They participate in all things as citizens and endure
all things as foreigners. . .. They obey the established laws and their way of
life surpasses the laws. . .. So noble is the position to which God has
assigned them that they are not allowed to desert it.
The Apostle exhorts us to offer prayers and thanksgiving
for kings and all who exercise authority, "that we may lead a quiet and
peaceable life, godly and respectful in every way."
Daily
Devotions/Practices
·
Make
reparations to the Holy Face-Tuesday
Devotion
·
Pray Day 7 of
the Novena for our Pope and Bishops
·
Tuesday:
Litany of St. Michael the Archangel
·
Offering to
the sacred heart of Jesus
·
Rosary.
[1]http://usccb.org/bible/psalms/78
[2] Goffine’s Devout Instructions, 1896
[3]http://www.holytrinitygerman.org/postpentecostcustoms.htm#All_Saints__and_All_Souls__Day
[4]http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/calendar/day.cfm?date=2017-11-02
[5]https://www.wincalendar.com/All-Souls-Day
[6] https://www.holytrinitygerman.org/postpentecostfoods.htm
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