To watch Fr. Joe’s homily from the All Souls Day Mass: CLICK HERE!
Did you ever notice that at award shows like the Academy Awards, the ESPY’s, the Emmy’s, there is always an “In Memoriam” or “In Memory” segment. People who have been part of our lives, even from a distance are remembered. And hopefully we remember them with a silent prayer, or thanks for the memories thought.
Well this has been the tradition for the Catholic Church forever and for the last 1,000 years on this date of November 2 — All Souls Day.
As people of faith we are ALL expected to pray for one another, especially our faithful departed…
We have traditions in the Church, to pray for our deceased:
- At every Mass we remember all our deceased.
- Many people have a Mass “said for the intention of a person or family.
- Many people get Mass Cards for a person who has died in recent days and passes it along to the family; a Mass Card that notes a day and time for Mass when the person will be remembered.
Today is about remembering in prayer all our faithful departed and in a special way those who have died in the past year.
Our remembering, our prayer for others, can happen in any number of ways… When we hear about the death of someone or just remember someone who has been part of our past… That moment is a moment for prayer to maybe say silently in our heart, “God bless… Mary, Fred, Don, Sean, Ruth.”
Tonight then, as we remember so many of our faithful departed, especially those who have joined the Communion of Saints this past year, let us pray…