Homily for the Commemoration of the Faithful Departed on All Souls Day, Nov. 2, 2025. The Gospel of St. John 6:37-40. Theme: We All Survive Our Physical Deaths!
Throughout world history there has always been a recognition that human beings survive physical death and pass on to another life. This universal belief has been found in every culture no matter how primitive or advanced it was. In other words, there has always been a deeply pervasive sense among human beings that there’s a much bigger picture to our existence than only the time spent here on planet Earth. There is a sense built into us that we are something more than just our minds and bodies.
And this “something more” is what survives our physical deaths.
This “something more” is what we call the immortal soul. Our souls empower us to do so many wonderful things that the rest of physical creation simply cannot do, such as thinking and choosing, loving and laughing, pondering lofty thoughts and exploring the unknown. And most importantly, because the soul is spiritual it’s immortal because spiritual things cannot and do not deteriorate or die like those of the material world. And this is why we can say with confidence that human beings survive physical death.
The Catholic Church, like every ancient community and culture, has developed its own rites for honoring the dead and expressing belief in the afterlife. Very early on, even before Christianity emerged from the Roman catacombs, prayers for the repose of the faithful departed were etched on tombstones and written into the liturgical books. There was always a conviction that we are not separated from those who have passed, but continue on with our relationships even if in a different way. As the Church calendar developed, November 2 was set apart as the annual day of commemoration of the dead and soon after this, the entire month of November was dedicated to that same intention. All Souls Day reminds us of three important Christian teachings about death and the afterlife.
First, All Souls Day reminds us that our relationships continue after physical death . Our Catholic funeral ritual tells us that when it comes to death, “life is changed and not ended”. This means that we continue on, that our existence is not concluded by death but simply moves into its next way of being. And so the deceased do not really leave us behind, it's just that we are no longer visibly present to one another. All Souls Day is an annual reminder that we are still connected and that we can keep up the relationship on a spiritual level. We pray for them because, even though they left this world with love in their hearts, they were still holding some of it back from God. And so before entering into the Direct Presence of God who is Absolute Love they are purified of this residual selfishness through the process of refinement that we call Purgatory. And we can walk with them and help them through this by the offering of our thoughts, prayers and Masses.
Second, All Souls Day reminds us that we Christians do not belong to death. Because of our baptismal relationship, a Christian does not merely die. A Christian dies in Christ. And those two words, “in Christ” make all the difference in the world! They mean that we do not belong to death; we belong to Christ who is the Resurrection and the Life! So, for those who live and die in Christ, death is not a black-hole of nothingness. Instead, it’s a doorway to a fuller experience of life filled with glory, joy and all that is good. And so, we Christians are not confused or silent in the face of death, as are those who do not have faith. We respond to it with the cry of “Alleluia!” because we believe in the resurrection of the dead and in the life of the world to come.
Third, All Souls Day reminds us that death is the Great Equalizer. The social status we had on planet Earth is no indication whatsoever of what our status will be in eternity. When you walk through a cemetery you can see huge ornate monuments elaborately proclaiming the prominence of those buried beneath or within. And you will also come across many simple crosses and metal markers that identify the resting places of the vast majority who were just us ordinary people. But underneath both kinds of monuments all of the deceased are one and the same. Death puts every human being on the same level. Our financial portfolio, our impressive work resume, our roster of friends and social contacts, our physical appearance and fitness will mean nothing at all. Those things will all be gone and we will turn into dust. The only thing that will matter is how sincerely we sought to love God and neighbor in this life.
And so, All Souls Day, and really the entire month of November, is a chance for us to not just remember our loved ones and pray for those who have died. It’s also a time to reflect on our own deaths, not in a morbid way but with a healthy dose of Christian realism. It's a time to put into practice the old proverb that says, “don’t put off until tomorrow what you should do today” because we do not have forever to come to know Christ better; we do not have forever to learn to love God and neighbor better; and we do not have forever to finally make those changes in our lives that we know need to be made in the remaining years given to each one of us.
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