All Saints/All Souls: The Church's commemoration of our final journey

IC photo/Marie Mischel

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By Fr. Christopher Gray

Special to the Intermountain Catholic

SALT LAKE CITY — Every November we keep festival in honor of All Saints. We join with the angels in joyful praise to the Son of God. Our Preface Prayer gives us an excellent summation of our celebration. It tells us in words addressed to God the Father: “By your gift we celebrate the festival of your city, the heavenly Jerusalem, our mother, where the great array of our brothers and sisters already gives you eternal praise. Towards her, we eagerly hasten as pilgrims advancing by faith.”

The Feast of All Saints underscores two fundamental truths. First, that our basic vocation, our very reason for existence, is holiness of life. Second, that we are a pilgrim people. We have here no lasting home. Our destiny in history is God and his gift of eternal life.

On the heels of All Saints, we remember All Souls. We remember our loved ones who have gone before us marked with the sign of faith. We say in prayer: “O God, glory of the faithful and life of the just ... look mercifully on your departed servants, that, just as they professed the mystery of our resurrection, so they may merit to receive the joys of eternal happiness.”

The Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed underscores two fundamental truths, complements to those mentioned above. First, each one of us must say, “At some particular moment I shall die; at any particular moment I could die.” Second, though we cannot choose the circumstances of our death, we can and will choose the sort of life that will conclude.

We can and we will choose the sort of life that will conclude. What does this mean? God takes the initiative in the drama of salvation by moving us from sin to the grace of faith. He justifies us and through the sacraments takes away our sins. This is God, out of no motive other than love, working within us and for us but without our cooperation. Then God works in cooperation with our freedom as he works from the grace of faith to the good works of faith. In spite of God’s initiating love, we are not forced to do good works. Good works means growth in love of God and love of neighbor.

One significant aspect worth mentioning about All Saints Day and All Souls Day is the Doctrine of the Communion of the Saints. Until the coming of the last day, the Church on earthly pilgrimage struggles through history, yet some members of the Church are already gathered up into the presence of the risen Christ or are at least assured of final victory. Between them and ourselves there is genuine communion. Right from its very beginning, the Church has understood that the apostles, the martyrs and especially the Blessed Virgin Mary are united with Christ in heaven and with all of us who are still on pilgrimage. While we do not have detailed knowledge of the present condition of the saints in heaven, we surely believe our brothers and sisters are irrevocably united with the risen Christ. Because this is so, they contribute to the upbuilding of the Church on earth through their holiness of life and their prayers. For our part, our faith finds inspiration from their lives, our path is made more sure by their example. Our response is to love these friends of Christ, to imitate their virtues, to ask for their prayers and to praise God in their company, especially during the Eucharistic Liturgy. St. Augustine stated it centuries ago when he was preaching on the feast day of two young martyrs: “Let it not seem a small thing to us that we are members of the same body as Perpetua and Felicity. We marvel at them; they have compassion for us. We rejoice for them; they pray for us. Yet together we all serve one Lord, follow one Master, attend one King, we are joined to one head, we journey to one Jerusalem, we follow after one love, we embrace one unity.”

 What should we take with us on our final journey from death to life? When we move from city to city, we collect our possessions in a moving van. When we go on a picnic we bring with us a basket with goodies for the road. The food that we must take on our final journey when the Lord calls us to himself is the Eucharist, our Bread of Life, food for the journey from death to life.

Fr. Christopher Gray is pastor of St. Mary of the Assumption Parish in Park City.