20251102 HOPE FOR OUR DEPARTED LOVED ONES
02 November 2025, Sunday, All Souls
First reading |
Isaiah 25:6a,7-9 |
The Lord will swallow up death for ever
On this mountain,
the Lord of hosts will prepare for all peoples
a banquet of rich food.
On this mountain he will remove
the mourning veil covering all peoples,
and the shroud enwrapping all nations,
he will destroy Death for ever.
The Lord will wipe away
the tears from every cheek;
he will take away his people’s shame
everywhere on earth,
for the Lord has said so.
That day, it will be said: See, this is our God
in whom we hoped for salvation;
the Lord is the one in whom we hoped.
We exult and we rejoice
that he has saved us.
Responsorial Psalm |
Psalm 26(27):1,4,7,8-9,13-14 |
The Lord is my light and my help.
or
I believe that I shall see the Lord’s goodness in the land of the living.
The Lord is my light and my help;
whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the stronghold of my life;
before whom shall I shrink?
The Lord is my light and my help.
or
I believe that I shall see the Lord’s goodness in the land of the living.
There is one thing I ask of the Lord,
for this I long,
to live in the house of the Lord,
all the days of my life,
to savour the sweetness of the Lord,
to behold his temple.
The Lord is my light and my help.
or
I believe that I shall see the Lord’s goodness in the land of the living.
O Lord, hear my voice when I call;
have mercy and answer.
It is your face, O Lord, that I seek;
hide not your face.
The Lord is my light and my help.
or
I believe that I shall see the Lord’s goodness in the land of the living.
I am sure I shall see the Lord’s goodness
in the land of the living.
Hope in him, hold firm and take heart.
Hope in the Lord!
The Lord is my light and my help.
or
I believe that I shall see the Lord’s goodness in the land of the living.
Second reading | Romans 5:5-11 |
Now we have been reconciled by the death of his Son, surely we may count on being saved by the life of his Son
Hope is not deceptive, because the love of God has been poured into our hearts by the Holy Spirit which has been given us. We were still helpless when at his appointed moment Christ died for sinful men. It is not easy to die even for a good man – though of course for someone really worthy, a man might be prepared to die – but what proves that God loves us is that Christ died for us while we were still sinners. Having died to make us righteous, is it likely that he would now fail to save us from God’s anger? When we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, we were still enemies; now that we have been reconciled, surely we may count on being saved by the life of his Son? Not merely because we have been reconciled but because we are filled with joyful trust in God, through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have already gained our reconciliation.
Gospel Acclamation | Jn6:39 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
It is my Father’s will, says the Lord,
that I should lose nothing of all he has given to me,
and that I should raise it up on the last day.
Alleluia!
Gospel | Luke 7:11-17 |
The only son of his mother, and she a widow
Jesus went to a town called Nain, accompanied by his disciples and a great number of people. When he was near the gate of the town it happened that a dead man was being carried out for burial, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow. And a considerable number of the townspeople were with her. When the Lord saw her he felt sorry for her. ‘Do not cry’ he said. Then he went up and put his hand on the bier and the bearers stood still, and he said, ‘Young man, I tell you to get up.’ And the dead man sat up and began to talk, and Jesus gave him to his mother. Everyone was filled with awe and praised God saying, ‘A great prophet has appeared among us; God has visited his people.’ And this opinion of him spread throughout Judaea and all over the countryside.
HOPE FOR OUR DEPARTED LOVED ONES
SCRIPTURE READINGS: [ISAIAH 25:6-9; ROMANS 5:5-11; MATTHEW 11:25-30]
Today, as we celebrate All Souls’ Day, we remember the departed souls of our loved ones. For those of us who have recently lost someone dear, memories of their departure are still fresh, and the pain of their absence is deeply felt in our hearts. We long for their presence and wish they were still with us, especially during special celebrations. For others, their loved ones may have departed many years ago, yet whenever we think of them, our hearts ache for their presence. We wonder where they are — are they in Heaven or in purgatory? For those who passed away suddenly or were estranged from God, we may even wonder whether they are saved.
If we harbour such thoughts and anxieties, today’s Scripture readings offer assurance that God, who is all-merciful, will be forgiving toward them. Indeed, the God we worship and love is generous and all-forgiving. He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to save us, even while we were still sinners. As St. Paul wrote, “We were still helpless when, at His appointed moment, Christ died for sinful men. It is not easy to die even for a good man — though for someone truly worthy, a man might be prepared to die but what proves that God loves us is that Christ died for us while we were still sinners.” Christ did not die for the righteous or the good, but for sinners, to show the Father’s love and mercy for all. St. Paul also wrote, “But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Saviour appeared, He saved us, not because of any works of righteousness that we had done, but according to His mercy, through the water of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit” (Tit. 3:4-5).
For St. Paul, it is unthinkable that God would condemn us to hell when He has reconciled us with His Son. “Having died to make us righteous, is it likely that He would now fail to save us from God’s anger? When we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son, we were still enemies; now that we have been reconciled, surely we may count on being saved by the life of His Son.” In the acclamation before the Gospel, we hear the words of Jesus: “It is my Father’s will, says the Lord, that I should lose nothing of all He has given to me, and that I should raise it up on the last day” (Jn 6:39). The prophet Micah also assures us: “Who is a God like you, pardoning iniquity and passing over the transgression of the remnant of your possession? He does not retain His anger forever, because He delights in showing clemency. He will again have compassion upon us; He will tread our iniquities underfoot. You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea.”
But do we truly have the confidence to trust in God’s mercy and forgiveness? If we do, then we can be assured that our loved ones will be welcomed into His kingdom. Jesus invites us all: “Come to me, all you who labour and are overburdened, and I will give you rest. Shoulder my yoke and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. Yes, my yoke is easy and my burden light.” To arrive at this conviction of God’s love and mercy, we must enter into the mind and heart of our Lord. To carry the yoke with Him is to share in His pain, suffering, and hope. In other words, we must put on the Lord. St. Paul urges us, “Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 2:5). St. Peter also wrote, “Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you should follow in His steps.” If we lack confidence in God’s mercy, it is because we do not have the mind of Christ in our hearts. St. Paul also wrote, “We hold that a person is justified by faith apart from works prescribed by the law” (Rom. 3:28).
How can we be certain of God’s love and mercy? God sent us His only Son. If God has given His only Son for our salvation, St. Paul asks, “What then are we to say about these things? If God is for us, who is against us? He who did not withhold His own Son, but gave Him up for all of us, will He not with Him also give us everything else? Who will bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn?” (Rom. 8:31-33). The death of Jesus not only expresses the love and mercy of God the Father but also assures us that Christ intercedes for us: “It is Christ Jesus, who died, yes, who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who indeed intercedes for us. Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will hardship, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?” (Rom. 8:34-35). St. Paul assures us that nothing can separate us from the love of Christ.
The truth remains that only Jesus can reveal the Father’s love. He says, “Everything has been entrusted to me by my Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father, just as no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal Him.” So if we want to know the heart of the Father, we must come through Jesus. Hence, Jesus said to Thomas, I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you know me, you will know my Father also. From now on you do know Him and have seen Him” (Jn 14:6-7).
But we cannot fully understand God’s love unless we, too, become children of God, as Jesus was. Jesus exclaimed, “I bless you, Father, Lord of Heaven and of earth, for hiding these things from the learned and clever and revealing them to mere children. Yes, Father, for that is what pleased you to do.” To experience the Father’s love, we must embrace the heart of a child — one of trust, love, and obedience. A child does not doubt the love of his or her parents. He or she expects the father or mother to protect him or her, and to take care of his or her needs, and to be there for him or her when he or she is in danger. On account of a child’s trust in his or her parents, the child submits in obedience to the will of his or her parents, believing that they will always act in his or her interest. This must be the way we look at God and conduct ourselves before Him.
We can therefore be confident of His love and mercy for the departed souls – that they are in purgatory, and that many of them have already entered into the communion of saints. This hope in God’s forgiveness of our sins is not mere wishful thinking but is rooted in His love. St. Paul wrote, “Hope is not deceptive, because the love of God has been poured into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us. Not merely because we have been reconciled, but because we are filled with joyful trust in God, through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have already gained our reconciliation.” We can be confident that our loved ones, even if they did not live seemingly righteous lives, are in purgatory or have already entered Heaven. The souls in purgatory are at peace but not fully at rest because they long for union with God: “There is one thing I ask of the Lord, for this I long — to live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to savour the sweetness of the Lord, to behold His temple.”
What prevents them from accepting God’s love and mercy? They are unable to let go of all that is earthly and worldly. They struggle to forgive and continue to hold on to grudges and resentment toward those who have hurt them. They cling to their loved ones and remain attached to worldly things. That is why they are restless. On one hand, they know that God is waiting for them to return home to Him; yet, they are unable to let go and allow Him to take over. As the Prophet Isaiah says, Heaven is a state of perfect communion and love for all, without exception. It is the celebration of the communion of saints — one with each other, in each other, and for each other, but all in God. This is symbolised by “a banquet of rich food, a banquet of fine wines, of food rich and juicy, of fine strained wines.” It is truly a feast of love and unity.
How can we help them? We help through prayer. With the psalmist, we pray for the departed souls: “The Lord is my light and my help; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; before whom shall I shrink? There is one thing I ask of the Lord, for this I long — to live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to savour the sweetness of the Lord, to behold His temple. I am sure I shall see the Lord’s goodness in the land of the living. Hope in Him, hold firm and take heart. Hope in the Lord!” Through our love for them and our assurance that they can go to be with God by forgiving their enemies and letting go of their worldly attachments, they will find peace and joy in Him. Indeed, “The Lord will wipe away the tears from every cheek; He will remove His people’s shame everywhere on earth, for the Lord has said so. That day it will be said: ‘See, this is our God in whom we hoped for salvation; the Lord is the one in whom we hoped.'”
Best Practices for Using the Daily Scripture Reflections
- Encounter God through the spirit of prayer and the scripture by reflecting and praying the Word of God daily. The purpose is to bring you to prayer and to a deeper union with the Lord on the level of the heart.
- Daily reflections when archived will lead many to accumulate all the reflections of the week and pray in one sitting. This will compromise your capacity to enter deeply into the Word of God, as the tendency is to read for knowledge rather than a prayerful reading of the Word for the purpose of developing a personal and affective relationship with the Lord.
- It is more important to pray deeply, not read widely. The current reflections of the day would be more than sufficient for anyone who wants to pray deeply and be led into an intimacy with the Lord.
Note: You may share this reflection with someone. However, please note that reflections are not archived online nor will they be available via email request.
Written by His Eminence, Cardinal William SC Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All Rights Reserved.
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