Fr. Emmanuel Megwara, MSP - Homily for Monday Week 31 Ordinary time - November 2, 2020 - All Souls

DATE : 2/11/2020, Monday of the 31st Week in Ordinary Time (A) EVENT : Commemoration of the Faithful Departed COLOUR : VIOLET READINGS : Wis. 3:1-9, Resp. Psalm 23:1-3.4-6; Matt. 5:1-12a. THEME: YES!!! THE DEAD CAN STILL BE PARDONED FOR THEIR SINS Greetings beloved people of God. I welcome you to "My Catholic Homily Digest". As this new working begins, in which we celebrate the Commemoration of the souls of the faithful departed, I want to reflect with us on the theme " YES.... Even the Dead can still be Pardoned for their Sins". One question that has always crossed my mind is this: Since God cannot behold sin, then what happens to those pious and struggling people who died with one venial sin? Will they also be cast into Hell with the hardened sinners? Beloved, Scripture tell us that while God is a consuming fire, He is also a merciful and a just judge. Hence, even though Bible says that the soul that sins shall die, since nothing impure shall enter Heaven or see God; the Catholic Church, through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, believes that there is such a place as purgatory (a house of purgation, purification or atonement), where holy soul, who are supposed to enter heaven but for a few small stains of sin (s), are kept until they have been completely washed perfectly clean, before they can be admitted to Heaven to behold the presence and glory of God. It is because of this belief in purgatory, that it is still possible for a soul to enter Heaven, after dying with venial sin (s), that makes the Church to always pray and ask us to pray for the souls of the faithful departed, that they may be granted the final grace to rest in peace in the blessedness of Heaven. There are a few Scriptural passages which supports this believe, namely in 2Maccabees 12:38-45, Judas Maccabeus asked the people to pray for the fallen soldiers that God may grant them a merciful judgment. Also in 2Tim. 1:18, St. Paul offered prayer for Onesiphorus, that God may grant him mercy. The Catechism of the Catholic Church also has something to say about prayers for the dead, when it states that: “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 that holiness necessary to enter the joy of heaven” (CCC. Art. 1030). To further show the belief in prayinf for the dead is rooted in the practice of the Church from earliest times, there are historical document which shows that the Christians often gather at the Roman catacombs where early Christians Apostles and martyrs were buried, to offer prayer for their atonement and to ask for their blessings. Furthermore, the Church's prayer for the dead called, The funeral liturgy, teaches us that funeral is an act of worship, and not merely an expression of grief. It went on to say that it is a time when the Church gathers with the family and friends of the deceased, to give praise and thanks to God for Christ's victory over sin and death, to commend the deceased to God's tender mercy, the prayers hope that God will free the person who has died from any burden of sin and prepare a place for him or her in heaven. So, beloved, the only sacred obligation we owe our departed relatives and friends is to constantly pray for them, immediately they die. This however does not mean that a damned soul (soul already in Hell), can be saved. Our prayer is effective only to those holy but imperfect souls in purgatory. #End Sars, #End Political Oppression #End Bad Governance. Oh that today you would listen to his voice harden not your hearts (Ps.95:7-8)