HOMILY
ALL SOULS DAY
Killing
oneself is called suicide
Killing
other is called murder
Killing
many is called genocide
Old
age death is called natural death
Dying
in an accident is called misfortunate death.
Thus we see many kinds of
death. But all the deaths teach only one
lesson that is life on earth is not permanent.
The death is also unpredictable no one knows when it will come. Today we are remembering all the souls which
are departed from this world to the new life. Remembrance of the death is very
common in all the cultures and at all times.
In our country we remember them by offering them rice balls and
expiatory sacrifices. Egyptians built fantastic
pyramids in memory of their dead emperors and lords. In Rome
This celebration of All Souls day
did not come on a full moon day. In the beginning Christians celebrated the
memory of deceased relatives and friends on the 7th day, 30th
day or 40th day. At the time
of St.Isidore of Seville 646 the Monday after Pentecost was dedicated for the
commemoration of the departed Christians.
The choice of November 2nd as the day to commemorate the
departed members of all the Cluniarch Monasteries was introduced by Abbot
Odillo of Cluny
The custom of saying Three Masses on
this feast day was begun by the Dominicans of Valencia. Other countries too followed this
practice. Pope benedict XIV approved
this practice in 1748. But Pope Benedict
XV granted this privilege to all the priests because of the number of war casualties. But the priests were allowed to accept only
one stipend.
When
we look in to the readings of today it will tell us that our death is not an
end rather it is a way to another life. Thus we see in the first reading that
in the eyes of the foolish the departure of the righteous seemed like disaster
but God says he has trained them like gold in the furnace so in the time of
visitation they will shine forth. Second
reading says if we are baptized in to Christ we too will raise with him to the
newness of life. Through baptism we are
freed from our sins and raised to new life.
And if we are righteous we will get eternal life otherwise eternal
punishment. Therefore in this new life our merits and demerits will be
according to our deeds. Thus we read in Mt: 27:29 “Son of man who as a king
will judge the world”. Again we see in Zech 14:5. “The Lord my God will command all the Holy
ones with him”. Again when we look in to the Gospel reading and the Pre-Mathean
tradition we come to know that Palestinian shepherds commonly herded mixed
flocks of sheep and goats but separated the sheep and goats in the evening
because sheep prefer the open air at night and goats need warmth of shelter. The
greater value of sheep’s and their white color suit them to stand for the
saved. So also Jesus using the great
value of good and bad righteous and wicked makes the judgment. Thus there is no contradiction between Pre-Mathean
tradition and the last judgment.
Our
Christian faith also teaches that death is not a tragedy more than that our Risen
Lord tells us that death is not the end of all but it is the door to eternal
life. So we read in Jn 12: 24 “unless a
grain of wheat falls in to the earth and dies it remains alone but if it dies
it bears much fruit”. Thus we can
understand that death is life giving, only through death new life can
emerge. That is the conviction of the martyrs
too thus they willingly sacrificed themselves for the sake of Christ.
There
is also a difficulty in understanding this new life because nobody came back
from the grave and communicated of what happened to him, except Jesus. Thus we
face our hope only on Jesus words “I am the resurrection
and life whoever believes in me will live, even if he dies and each one lives
and believes in me will not die for ever” (Jn 11:25).
Thus through faith and grace a person belongs to the mystical body of
Christ so every person has a share in the glories resurrection of Christ.
Now
when we look in to our lives and the people who lived and gone before us we see
two kinds of feelings. Some People make mark of rejection and the others make
mark of affection. These all depends on
the deeds each one does while they were with us. These readings too give us a beautiful
invitation that is to live our life beautifully. Which means that when we live in this world
we need to make the mark of affection by which Jesus would say to us that my
dear son when I was sick you took care of me, when I was naked you clothed me
etc?
The
Eucharist we celebrate also tells us the same two hidden realities which the Gospel
tells us today. They are the already and the here and now. Because the swaddling clothes of an infant hid
the Son of God in Bethlehem and the appearance
of bread and wine hides the reality of Christ dying again on Calvary
in the mass. So it is a invitation for us to live the present life beautifully
accepting the pains of life in order to attain the new life in Christ which is
hidden.
We
human creatures are strange creatures we are for ever crying for the moon and
neglect the solid earth on which we stand. We make nothing of that which is in our
hands. Our eyes are wandering abroad
turning life into a nightmare and paralyzing the action by fear of that which
is not. We have the present always with us yet we are always endeavoring to
live in either a half forgotten past or fancied future. Therefore if we live
the present worthily Jesus will give all of us a surprise saying my dear son
come and posses the kingdom which has been prepared for you ever since the
creation of the world. Because you have
fed me, clothed me, took care of me etc.
So let us ask the grace from the Lord that we may receive the grace to
live this present life meaningfully.
AMEN
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