“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.” – John 6:40
The beautiful feasts of All Saints and All Souls on this first weekend in November remind us that the Church transcends space and time. Through the mystical bond of God’s love, we are connected to our victorious brothers and sisters in Heaven and those good souls in Purgatory.
Indeed, we are “surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses” whose lives reveal the power of God’s love and should fill us with hope (Hebrews 12:1). Saints such as Mary Magdalene, Augustine, and Francis of Assisi prove that even the most wayward person can be led by God’s grace to the heights of perfection. There is no sinner too-far-gone for God.
He pursues us relentlessly. More than anything, he wants us to enjoy the bliss of perfect union with Him, which we call Heaven. He longs for us to experience and participate in the eternal exchange of love between the Father and Son, poured out through the Holy Spirit.
And so, He calls us to love, “because he first loved us” (1 John 4:19). This participation in God’s love is what will turn us into saints. For, as St. Thomas Aquinas explained in his Summa Theologica, “The perfection of the Christian life consists simply in charity.” Thus, saints are not saints because of their great deeds, but because of their great love – their caritas.
For this reason, we can hope that Heaven is filled with countless saints whose names and deeds we do not know. But, they know and love God, and they know and love us, so we ask for their intercession on the feast of All Saints.
In the same way, we can reciprocate God’s love by performing a spiritual work of mercy and praying for all the souls in purgatory. These individuals are en route to heaven, but are still being prepared by God’s grace. Their sins have already been forgiven, but the temporal consequences of their sins form a kind of “residue” on their souls which must be purified in order for them to be perfectly united with God, Who Himself is perfectly pure. Let us pray for all the faithful departed on this feast of All Souls, that they may come to share fully in the glory of heaven.
Above all, let us love God by loving one another, because this is the way to heaven. “There is no greater love than this; to lay down one’s life for one’s friends” (John 15:13). Through prayer and the generous gifts of our time, talents, and treasure, let us lay down our lives for others – so that the lonely may be comforted, the hungry may be fed, and the homeless sheltered; that the orphan may be cared for and the unborn protected; that the immigrant may be welcomed and the oppressed be set free – all for the glory of God.
Lord of the Universe and God of Love, through the intercession of Mary and all the saints, cleanse us from all our sins and draw us into closer communion with you. Bring the souls of all your holy faithful in Purgatory into the light and peace of your Kingdom, through Christ our Lord. Amen.
