In last week’s Pastor’s Corner, I reflected on the great feast of All Saints, and I reflected on how this feast day isn’t just for those saints who have been officially canonized by the Church. Rather, it is also for those countless ordinary men and women throughout the centuries, some of whom we have known and loved, who are in heaven.

We have all known and loved some people who lived good and holy lives, and who were great examples to us. However, the reality is that most of us do not live the good and holy lives we are called to live by virtue of our baptism. And so, it is good to be able to celebrate All Souls on November 2^nd in memory of all our loved ones who have passed who were, as most of us are, imperfect human beings.

This past All Souls Day we remembered the 36 people who had passed away in the past year and who had services at OLMC. However, as I said, All Souls is precisely that. Yes, it is a time to remember those who have passed away in the past year but it is also a time to remember and to pray for all those souls we have known and loved.

And, because most of those who we have known and loved were frail human beings, it is especially good to remember and to pray for them. Remembering and praying for the dead is a good and holy thing to do, and is very much rooted in the Bible. In 2 Maccabees 12, some soldiers who had been killed in battle were found to have pagan coins on them after their death. The Maccabees paid for sacrifices to be offered for them in the Temple even though they had already died, clearly indicating that our prayers for the dead are effective, and worthwhile.

Praying for the dead is also linked with two important Catholic teachings. Firstly, that of the communion of saints, and secondly, that of purgatory. The communion of saints emphasizes that our loved ones who have gone before us are not separated from us, whether they are in heaven or purgatory. And, just as they can, and do, pray for us, so we can and should pray for them. Just as the Maccabees offered sacrifice for their deceased, so can we. And that is what we do when we ask for masses to be said for our deceased loved ones.

And those prayers are effective, especially for those in purgatory. Because, although we believe that all our loved ones who had died in God’s friendship are destined for heaven, because not all lived the lives of the saints, they are still on their journey to heaven, and our prayers help them in that journey.

So, next All Souls, please come and pray for all those that you have known and loved who have passed away, whether last week, or many decades ago. And know that your prayers help to maintain those bonds we have in the communion of saints, and help to speed our loved ones to their heavenly homeland.