Into Death, Into Life

Today the Church celebrates the Solemnity of All Saints, and tomorrow the Commemoration of All Souls. Together with the vigil held the evening prior to All Saints, these three days encompass the triduum known as Allhollowtide. It comes from the Old English words "eall" meaning "every", "hollow" meaning "holy", and "tide" meaning "time". The word Halloween is really just the Old English way of saying All Hallows' Eve, meaning the Night before All Holy's (Saint's) [Day].

This special triduum of days has been arranged for the Church to remember and pray for the dead: martyrs, saints, and all the faithful who have passed from this world to the next. It shows the unity between the Church Triumphant, who have attained their reward of Heaven and are praying for all; the Church Suffering, who are being purged of sin on their way to Heaven; and the Church Militant, us who are still here on Earth, fighting the spiritual battle for our souls and praying for those who have gone on before us.

The Christian is called not to fear death, but by virtue of our baptism as Christians, to embrace it like Christ so as to join Him in the resurrection. St. Paul writes in his letter to the Romans: "Are you unaware that we who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were indeed buried with him through baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might live in newness of life. For if we have grown into union with him through a death like his, we shall also be united with him in the resurrection. We know that our old self was crucified with him, so that our sinful body might be done away with, that we might no longer be in slavery to sin. For a dead person has been absolved from sin. If, then, we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him ... Consequently, you too must think of yourselves as [being] dead to sin and living for God in Christ Jesus." (Rom 6:3-8, 11)

Through the grace that Christ bestows upon us, made possible through our baptism, we have the strength to resist the lures of evil that prey upon our souls. When we are called home by God, through our cooperation with His grace and mercy, we may accept our death without fear and choose to have life in complete union with Him in Heaven. Holy Church calls us this hallowtide to pray, asking all the Saints to intercede for us, and we in turn pray for the souls in purgatory, that God may show them mercy and bring them quickly into His kingdom. Let us never forget our beloved dead, but pray for them always. Eternal rest, grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. May they rest in peace. Amen.