Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed (All Souls’ Day)

Liturgy of the Word, 1st Mass: 

2 Mc. 12:43-46; 

Ps. 103; 

Rom. 8:31-35, 37-39; 

Jn. 14:1-6

Notes from the ORDO:

Priests may celebrate three Masses today, one of which may be applied with a stipend for any individual. No stipend is to be accepted for the other two Masses. The second Mass is for all the faithful departed, and the third is for the intentions of the Holy Father. 

Some Notes on All Souls Day:

1. Undas is the term we Filipinos use for the two days of 1 November, All Saints’ Day, and 2 November, All Souls’ Day. Of Spanish origin, it may be the acronym for “UNos Dias de los Almas y de los Santos,” but may actually come from the Spanish “honras,” honor, as in “honras funebres,” funeral honors. Undas is translated as “Araw ng mga Patay,” with the variation “undras,” a term used by Chavacanos.

2. All Souls’ Day, the Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed, is a day of prayer and remembrance for the faithful departed. Its importance was made clear by Pope Benedict XV (1914-1922) when he granted all priests the privilege of celebrating three Masses on All Souls’ Day. The celebration is rooted in deep traditions and centuries of history. It reflects the Church’s enduring belief in the Communion of Saints and our hope for eternal life. 

3. The custom of praying for the dead is ancient, as evidenced by the inscriptions in the catacombs, with their constant prayers for the peace of the souls of the departed. The early liturgies commonly contained commemorations of the dead. All Souls’ Day is now paired with All Saints’ Day, which celebrates all of the faithful who are in heaven. It was originally celebrated in the Easter Season, around Pentecost Sunday, and still is in the Eastern Catholic Churches. 

4. By the 10th century, the celebration of All Souls’ Day had been moved to October, and sometime between 998 to 1030, St. Odilo of Cluny decreed that it should be celebrated on 2 November in all of the Benedictine monasteries. Over the next two centuries, other Benedictine and Carthusian monasteries followed suit and soon the commemoration of all the Holy Souls in Purgatory spread to the entire Church. 

5. Our Catholic belief holds that Purgatory is a state where souls undergo purification before entering heaven. 

“All who die in God’s grace and friendship, but still imperfectly purified, are indeed assured of their eternal salvation; but after death, they undergo purification, so as to achieve the holiness necessary to enter the joy of heaven” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, nos. 1031, 1032).

6. On All Souls’ Day, we not only remember the dead, but we apply our efforts through prayer, almsgiving, and Holy Mass, to their release from Purgatory. The merits of the two indulgences of All Souls’ Day are applicable only to the souls in Purgatory for their entry into heaven. 

The Church devotes the month of November to prayer for the souls in Purgatory. The rituals of visiting graves and lighting candles are worldwide and offer a powerful way to show love, mercy, and support for the souls in their journey to heaven. 

7. Lighting candles is a visible representation of prayers for the deceased and signifies the hope of resurrection. The lighted candles symbolize the light of Christ, whose light guides souls out of darkness into eternal peace.

8. 1st Reading, 2 Mc. 12:43-46 — Judas Maccabeus, victorious in battle, sends funds to Jerusalem as a sacrificial offering for the sins of those fallen in battle. He believes in the resurrection of the dead and hopes that the atonement sacrifice for the dead might help absolve their sin. 

9. Gospel, Jn. 14:1-6 — At the Last Supper, Jesus tells the disciples that in his Father’s house there are many mansions and he is going to prepare a place for them. Then he will return and take them that they might be with him (vv. 1-4). Thomas says that they don’t know the way (v. 5). Jesus answers, “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (v. 6). Philip, in turn, says that they have not seen the Father (v. 8). Jesus responds, “Whoever has seen me has seen the Father” (v. 39). 

10. The Liturgy of the Word presents themes that connect with the significance of All Souls’ Day: the resurrection of the dead, the offering of prayers and expiatory sacrifices for sins, and the hope of being with Jesus in heaven. Only through Jesus can we go to the Father. 

11. Prayer — Listen kindly to our prayers, O Lord, and as our faith in your Son, raised from the dead, is deepened, so may our hope of resurrection for your departed servants find new strength, through Christ our Lord. Amen (1st Mass).