Solemnity of All Souls Day

“Take my yoke upon you... For my yoke is easy and my burden light.” – Matthew 11:29-30

       One summer, our family had a vacation in a five-star hotel. My siblings and I were waiting in the lounge as my parents were settling the arrangement of our rooms at the reception desk. As soon as Dad handed the keys to us, all my siblings rushed upstairs to our rooms. I found myself left there with all of their baggage.

       Being the eldest son, I took the burden of carrying their baggage all the way to the third floor. It was a struggle. I ended up bathed in sweat. As my siblings opened the door, I grumbled: “Why did you leave me to carry all your baggage?”

       They laughed so hard and then they all pointed to the area behind me. I turned around and, lo and behold, the bellboy was there! He said, “Sorry, sir, I got a trolley for the baggage, but you went up so quickly!”

       Are you struggling and sweating because of a burden? Maybe you’re not supposed to be carrying it in the first place. Why not hand it over to God or share the burden with Him?

     Remember, whenever you’re faced with a burdensome trial or situation, you don’t have to carry it alone. Velden Lim (veldenlim@

Reflection: A burden shared is a burden halved. – Anonymous

Lord, when I am weary and burdened, may I rely not on my own strength, but on Your strength that is within me.

Isaiah 25:6-9 (or 2 Maccabees 12:43-46 or Wisdom 3:1-9)

6 On this mountain the Lord of hosts will provide for all peoples. 7 On this mountain he will destroy the veil that veils all peoples, the web that is woven over all nations; 8 he will destroy death forever. The Lord God will wipe away the tears from all faces; the reproach of his people he will  remove from the whole earth; for the Lord has spoken. 9 On that day it will be said: “Behold our God, to whom we looked to save us! This is the Lord for whom we looked; let us rejoice and be glad that he has saved us!”

Psalm 27:1, 4, 7, 8, 9, 13-14 (or Psalm103 or 115)

R: To you, O Lord, I lift my soul.

1The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the defense of my life; whom shall I dread? 4One thing I have asked from the Lord, that I shall seek: That I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord and to meditate in His temple. 7Hear, O Lord, when I cry with my voice, and be gracious to me and answer me. 8When You said, “Seek My face,” my heart said to You, “Your face, O Lord, I shall seek.” 9Do not hide Your face from me, do not turn your servant away in anger; you have been my help; do not abandon me nor forsake me, O God of my salvation! 13I would have despaired unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord In the land of the living. 14Wait for the Lord; be strong and let your heart take courage; yes, wait for the Lord.

We should view death with hope and knowledge of the resurrection. There is nothing to fear as long as we lived as faithful Christians. If we have allowed sin to control our lives, then we should repent and surrender ourselves to the grace of redemption. Let us give Jesus the opportunity to bring the gains of the resurrection He has won for us.

Romans 5:5-11 (or Romans 8:31-35, 37-39 or Romans 6:3-4, 8-9)

5Brothers and sisters: Hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us. 6For Christ, while we were still helpless, died at the appointed time for the ungodly. 7Indeed, only with difficulty does one die for a just person, though perhaps for a good person one might even find courage to die. 8But God proves his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us. 9How much more then, since we are now justified by his Blood, will we be saved  through him from the wrath. 10Indeed, if, while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son, how much more, once reconciled, will we be saved by his life. 11Not only that, but we also boast of God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.

Jesus has not abandoned us. He wants to help us carry our burdens. Jesus is always there for us as a friend. He promises us that His path is easier to take than the one without His grace and presence. Do you believe this? Have you opened your heart to receive the Gospel and the promise of eternal life that comes with it? The ball is in our court. God made His offer — will you accept it?

I am the resurrection and the life, says the Lord; whoever believes in me will never die.

Matthew 11:25-30 (or John 4:1-6, Matthew 25:31-46 or Matthew 5:1-12)

25 At that time Jesus exclaimed: “I give praise to you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for although you have hidden these things from the wise and the learned you have revealed them to little ones. 26 Yes, Father, such has been your gracious will. 27 All things have been handed over to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son wishes to reveal him.” 28 “Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for yourselves. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden light.”

think: Jesus wants to help us carry our burdens.

READ THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR Isaiah 41-44

RELATIONSHIPS DON’T END

An hour before the most important basketball game of his career, James received an emergency call. At the other end of the line was his mother informing him of the death of his father who has been battling diabetes for a while. His coach gave him permission to leave and grieve his dead father. To the coach’s surprise, James insisted he will play. “You see, coach,” he explained, “my father has been blinded by diabetes. He never really got to see me play. Now that he has passed on, he can see me play.”

       Even in death, relationships continue. This is the Christian attitude in the face of death. In the Preface of the Mass of Christian burial, the priest proclaims, “Lord, for Your faithful people, life is changed, not ended.” This is why we continue to pray for the dead. We believe that they, too, continue to pray for us.

     Our prayers for the dead hinges on the Catholic doctrine about purgatory. This teaching dates back to the Old Testament in 2 Maccabees 12:39-46. In this account, Judas Maccabeus found “magic” amulets in the bodies of dead Jewish soldiers. This indicated that they have sinned against God by practicing idolatry. In restitution, Judas “then took up a collection among all his soldiers…which he sent to Jerusalem to provide for an expiatory sacrifice…Thus, he made atonement for the dead that they might be freed from this sin.” Then the book concluded with “It is a holy and wholesome thought to pray for the dead.”

       Today’s feast contains with it a double affirmation. First, God is all Holy and nothing unholy will stand before His presence, as Revelation 21:27 reminds us: “Nothing unclean will enter” heaven. Secondly, as St. Paul affirms, “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). Thus we speak of a period of purification, of purgation.

       Today, with faith and vibrant hope, we affirm that death has no sting, it has no victory over one who lives in Christ. Fr. Joel Jason

REFLECTION QUESTION: “God knows that we’re only pilgrims and that eternity is so close that ‘goodbye’ is in reality ‘see you tomorrow’.” – Max Lucado

Lord, for Your faithful people, life is changed in death, not ended. Amen.