The Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed

At the end of the day, about a half hour or so before going to bed, I usually take the opportunity to read. I’ve made it the habit to read something to relax ... something I enjoy such as science fiction or fantasy or maybe history or historical fiction. Many of the authors I enjoy reading present the classic theme of good versus evil in their works. The theme is always woven into several volumes ... not just one. I find that shorter works just don’t do the telling of the story justice.

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Entrance: 1 Thes 4:14; 1 Cor 15:22 – “Just as Jesus died and has risen again, so through Jesus, God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep; and as in Adam all die, so also in Christ will all be brought to life.”

First Reading: Wis 3:1-9 – “He accepted them as a holocaust.”

Psalm: Ps 23 – “The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.”

Second Reading: Rom 5:5-11 – “Having been justified by His blood, we will be saved from God’s anger through Him.”

Alleluia: Jn 11:25a, 26 – Alleluia, alleluia. “I am the Resurrection and the Life, says the Lord; whoever believes in Me will not die forever.” Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel: Jn 6:37-40 – “All who believe in the Son will have eternal life and I will raise them to life again on the last day.”

Communion: Jn 11:25-26 – “I am the Resurrection and the Life, says the Lord. Whoever believes in Me, even though he dies, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in Me will not die for ever.”

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I am in the process of reading The Lord of the Rings for about the thousandth time. J.R.R. Tolkien often claimed during his numerous interviews that his books had no overt theological or Christian undertones. But after reading them so many times, I find that incredibly hard to believe. Similarly, when Peter Jackson made the trilogy into the movies, it was hard for him not to incorporate those Christian ideas into the motion pictures. And I found and continue to find those religious elements refreshing.

It’s hard to believe that twenty-two years ago, in 2003, the final movie, The Return of the King was released. In the middle of the movie there is a poignant scene between Gandalf the White, a Wizard and Pippin, a Hobbit. Gandalf represents the forces of good and in many ways reminds me of Jesus Christ. But if you are truly familiar with the characters and their hierarchy in Middle Earth, Gandalf the White is more like an archangel, but I digress. Pippin was the youngest of the fellowship, who set out on the quest to stop those who would oppose light and truth. The scene to which I refer takes place during a particularly dark moment in the story, just as the forces of evil are about to conquer the land and kill all who fight against them. In a moment of rest, Pippin says to Gandalf, “I did not think it would end this way.” In the broadest sense, he was referring to the battle between good and evil. Focusing a bit more narrowly, however, he could have also been referring to his own life. Gandalf responds, with a smirk on his face, “End? This is not the end. Death is just a doorway into something even better than this life.” In one simple sentence, Gandalf offers a Catholic understanding of life, death and afterlife.

Over the last week or so, we’ve heard a lot about the Body of Christ. We remember one part of the Body every day as we gather as one to offer the Mass … the Church Militant. Yesterday, we remembered the Saints, members of the Body who are in heaven with God and who we pray to intercede for us and to be our guides … the Church Triumphant. And today the Church remembers the final members of the Body of Christ … the Church Suffering … all those who, in the purifying of Purgatory, await the day they see God face-to-face … the Beatific Vision … and will join in the heavenly glory. Today, we remember all the faithful departed who have gone before us. We pray for our loved ones and we remind ourselves that they who die in faith simply walk through another door and will one day be with God. We believe this because Jesus makes all of us this promise.

In our Gospel today, Jesus reminds His listeners that all who believe in Him belong to Him, and that He would never lose anyone who trusted in Him. Those who believe in Him will be “raised on the last day.” That message was spoken over two thousand years ago, but it is equally as powerful for us today. It is a promise spoken to all who have already died, including men and women from this parish, family members, and our friends. It’s a promise for each one of us, too.

I think all of us here today knows the hurts of having to say farewell to someone we love. Those who have gone before us … those whom we celebrate today, continue to be a part of our lives through the myriad ways they influence how we see the world and choose to respond to the challenges we face. We know too that they still are and will be with us in ways that are beyond our ability to understand.

Eternal rest grant unto them O Lord;

and let perpetual light shine upon them.

May they and the souls of all of the faithful departed,

through the mercy of God rest in peace, today and always.

May God bless you.