20261102 CHRISTIAN HOPE FOR THOSE WHO HAVE DIED
02 November 2026, Monday, 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 |
Matthew 11:25-30 |
You have hidden these things from the wise and revealed them to little children
Jesus exclaimed, ‘I bless you, Father, Lord of heaven and of earth, for hiding these things from the learned and the clever and revealing them to mere children. Yes, Father, for that is what it pleased you to do. 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.
‘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.’
CHRISTIAN HOPE FOR THOSE WHO HAVE DIED
SCRIPTURE READINGS: [ISAIAH 25:6-9; ROMANS 5:5-11; MATTHEW 11:25-30]
What is most distressing in the world today is the feeling of despair. This is largely because secularism has stripped away humanity’s hope for a future life on this earth as well as the fullness of life after death. Facing so many problems–pandemics, civil unrest, religious and military conflicts, international trade and technological disputes, ecological destruction, and global warming–we live in a world where people are deeply suspicious of one another and of other nations. Consequently, the future seems profoundly uncertain. This is why the modern generation often seeks to live only for today; they see no reason to be responsible for the future of the planet if they will no longer be around to see it. When there is no accountability beyond this life, there is very little motivation to sacrifice our pleasure, comfort, and security for others.
The Feast of All Souls reminds us that we are not made of matter alone. We are constituted of body, soul, and spirit. If we were purely physical beings, we would be no different from plants and animals. Yet we know we possess a mind that transcends matter–we can remember the past and dream of the future. The spiritual nature of the human mind means that we possess intellect and will, which is why human beings alone are created in the image and likeness of God.
This is also why, in most religions, there is a conviction that life continues beyond death. Otherwise, religious rites or memorial services for the deceased would make no sense. Holding memorial services and paying our respects stems from a tacit belief that the dead remain in communion with us. After all, we do not hold memorial services for the animals we slaughter or the plants we destroy–simply because we believe they have died and returned to creation. Nor do we suggest that animals possess a conscience or could go to hell.
Even in the Old Testament, before faith in the resurrection of the body had fully developed, the Israelites–like their pagan neighbors–held elaborate rites for the dead, believing they went to Sheol, a place of non-existence. The first reading from Isaiah, though initially referring to the restoration of Israel after the exile, is often understood as a prefigurement of the fullness of life after death. Heaven is consistently described as a banquet in the heavenly Jerusalem where we are gathered with our loved ones in God’s presence. As the prophet Isaiah writes: “On this mountain, the Lord of hosts will prepare for all peoples a banquet of rich food, a banquet of fine wines, of food rich and juicy, of fine strained wines.” It is a life of eternal communion with God and with our brothers and sisters, where everyone is satisfied–not merely by food, but by being filled with joy, peace, and love.
Indeed, the first reading is filled with hope and the assurance of fulfillment. There will be celebration, and mourning, weeping, and death will be no more: “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.” God will restore His people to their dignity as His children: “On this mountain he will remove the mourning veil covering all peoples, and the shroud enwrapping all nations; he will destroy Death forever.”
Of course, at that stage, Isaiah was anticipating the truth of the resurrection while it was still in its infancy. Yet knowing that our loved ones in purgatory will eventually arrive at this fullness of life–where there is no more suffering, pain, sorrow, or death–gives us profound consolation. This is their ultimate destiny, and ours as well. Therefore, even if some departed souls have not yet arrived, we take comfort in knowing they soon will.
How can we help them reach this heavenly banquet? We must accompany them with our love and prayers so that they may let go and allow God to embrace them. They need the grace to open themselves fully to His love–something they may not have done completely while on earth. Through our love and prayers, we ask that they learn to let go of their past, their hurts, and their attachments, finding complete peace and rest in the Lord. As St. Paul reminds us, “Hope does not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.” Love enables them to let go of earth and cling to God.
We also need to help them forgive themselves for their past mistakes. At the moment of death, some depart in spiritual turmoil because they cannot let go of their failures or negligence. Here, they must be reminded once more of God’s mercy in Christ. St. Paul writes: “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.”
St. Paul reminds us that God has already forgiven us in Christ, who died for us while we were still sinners, not because we were good. All we need to do is claim the gift already purchased for us. God does not hold a grudge against us: “Having died to make us righteous, is it likely that he would now fail to save us from God’s anger?”
Therefore, we should never doubt the price Christ paid for our redemption. St. Paul continues: “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.”
Salvation is not earned by good works; we could never be worthy enough to merit it. Rather, salvation is made possible entirely through Christ. Our good works are simply the expression of the depth of our reception of His grace and love. The more we appreciate what Christ has done for us, the more we will respond to His love by doing good for His greater glory and for love of humanity. A life lacking good works simply implies that one has not yet fully received His gracious love and mercy.
If we are troubled or burdened because we struggle to forgive ourselves–or if we worry that our departed loved ones were unable to let go of resentment or sin at death–we simply need to come to Jesus. He promises: “Come to me, all you who labour and are overburdened, and I will give you rest.” This rest is far more than physical relief; it is the Sabbath rest–the heavenly rest in God where the mind and soul find peace. This is precisely what we mean when we pray that souls may rest in peace.
This rest becomes ours when we surrender all our sins and failures to the Lord and view them through His eyes. That is why He invites us: “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.” We must take up the yoke of Jesus so that He may carry it alongside us. When we view ourselves, our sinfulness, and our weaknesses through the compassionate, understanding eyes of our Lord, we will cease to condemn ourselves or others. True rest comes when we accept our weaknesses and rely fully on Him.
Doing so requires us to be humble and docile, like children. “Jesus exclaimed, ‘I bless you, Father, Lord of heaven and of earth, for hiding these things from the learned and the clever and revealing them to mere children.'” With childlike humility, we should accept in faith what the Lord has revealed to us. Jesus, as the Son of the Father, assures us of His Father’s love: “Yes, Father, for that is what it pleased you to do. 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.”
Let us, therefore, surrender our departed loved ones with complete trust into the mercy and love of God.
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
