All Souls
This Sunday we celebrate both the Feast of All Saints and the Commemoration of the Faithful Departed (All Souls’ Day)
The Church, with Christ as its cornerstone, has always looked to its foundation blocks - the heroes of the faith that have inspired others to greater holiness with the acknowledgement of the communion between the Church in heaven and on earth. As believers, our pilgrimage of faith is lived out with the mutual support of all the people of God. It is in Christ that all the faithful, both living and departed, are bound together in a communion of prayer.
We do not pray to the dead, but we can (and should) pray about them and their lives, giving our thanks. Misunderstanding this can lead to confusion and even accusations of idolatry. Prayer is directed to God alone, as God is the only one we offer our worship and petitions to.
One of the ministries or gifts of the Church is the acknowledgment of grief, of lament. We acknowledge the hard reality of death but “in the sure and certain hope of the resurrection to eternal life in Jesus Christ our Lord” (ANZPB Committal).
The Commemoration of All Souls, the Faithful Departed, is a time to remember those “ordinary saints” whose life and witness deeply touched our own. It is a time that in our remembrance we call to mind the hope of the resurrection, both theirs and ours, and give thanks for their faithful testimony.
God Bless you
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From the Vicar
