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The Light of the World
too, must cling to the Church, to her doctrine, and to her sacraments. These means provide
the one safe way to heaven. At the Offertory of the Mass, the liturgy sees the souls of the just as
they lay themselves on the paten to be offered as a sacrifice to God. “In the sight of the unwise
they seemed to die, but they are in peace.” They understood the necessity of uniting themselves
to the offering of Christ, and now they possess the precious fruit of that union: peace and the
eternal communion of the blessed in heaven.
Prayer
O almighty and eternal God, who hast granted us to venerate the merits of all Thy saints in one
solemnity, vouchsafe to us, we beseech Thee, through the multitude of our intercessors, that
abundance of Thy mercy which we have desired. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
November 2, All Souls’ Day
“On this day the commemoration of all the faithful departed [is celebrated], on which our Holy
Mother the Church . . . strives to give help to all those who are still suffering in purgatory, through
powerful prayers to her Lord and spouse, that they may soon be joined to the community of
the heavenly blessed” (Roman Martyrology), On this day the Church exercises her charity in
thought and in deed for her departed dead.
Charity in thought. Holy Mother the Church knows the suffering of her children in the flames
of purgatory and sympathizes with them. Their chief suffering is their exclusion from the
presence of God. These souls repose “in Christ” and are intimately united with Him; they
are in the state of grace and realize that eventually they will attain the sight of God. But still
they are detained; they do not enjoy “eternal rest.” “The perpetual light” does not yet shine
upon them. They are still in the “bonds of sin,” suffering temporal punishment due to their
sins. They have “still the spots of their daily sins,” although they long for God and for a “place
of refreshment, light, and peace” (Memento of the Dead). They still suffer the pain of separation
from God. They love God, and they love Him alone; but they cannot possess Him, see
Him, or repose in Him. They are not as yet worthy of associating with Him. Their sins, their
unfaithfulness, their want of contrition and penance, have caused this temporary separation
from God. How fervently they repent of their sins and negligences now! But their contrition,
their tears, their prayers, cannot help them. The time for such repentance ended with death.
“The night cometh, when no man can work” ( Jn 9:4). They can expiate their sins only through
suffering, and they will be detained until God’s justice is satisfied. The Church knows the
misery and helplessness of the souls in purgatory. Today she takes pity on them and wishes
that we also be touched by this pity.
Charity in deed. The Church knows that she can bring help to the souls in purgatory
through her prayers and especially through the Sacrifice of the Mass. Today she prays for the
poor souls and permits each priest to celebrate the Holy Sacrifice three times, that grace may
flow from the altar and be poured forth in abundance on the souls in purgatory, thus enabling
many of them to enter into heaven today. Today the Church makes it possible for the faithful to
gain plenary indulgences for the deceased in purgatory as often as they wish. We are conscious
of our unity in the Church, and we should joyfully join her in this work of mercy. We dedicate
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