Homily given by Rev. Michael J. Murray, Priest Director
Gate of Heaven Cemetery
November 2, 2007
The need and duty of prayer for the departed
souls has been a constant throughout the history of the Church. It is
recommended by scripture and has found expression not only
in public and private prayer, but especially in the offering
of the Eucharist for the repose of their souls. The memorial
feast of all the departed, in a common celebration, was started
by Abbot St. Odilo of Cluny in 1048. All the monasteries
of Cluny were to hold this feast on Nov. 2 to remember all
the deceased. This observance was soon adopted by other
religious communities. From the 11th through the 14th
centuries it gradually spread throughout Europe until Rome
finally officially placed the day of the commemoration of the
dead in the books of the Western liturgy.
Nov. 2 was chosen in order that
the memory of all the “holy spirits”- both of the
saints in Heaven and of the souls undergoing purification-
should be celebrated on two successive days to express the
Christian belief in the “Communion of Saints”.
This day of prayer for the
dead is truly celebrated in many countries of the world, even
to the
extent that in some countries, especially in Latin America,
it is a public holiday. The faithful in many places flock
to the cemeteries this day to decorate graves and pray for
their loved ones. In the days prior to Nov. 2, crowds will
come to the cemetery to attend to the graves leaving flowers,
tending the lawn, or spreading fresh white gravel around the
tombs. Candles are often left at the grave to be lighted on
All Soul’s
eve and left burning through the night. It is an impressive,
unforgettable sight to look upon the hundreds and often thousands
of candles quietly burning in the dark and dreary solitude
of a cemetery. Such is the import of this feast in many
areas of the Catholic world.
Today’s parable of the ten
virgins from Matthew’s
gospel addresses the issue of delay as regards the end times,
the final coming in glory of the Lord. In Matthew’s
gospel it is surrounded by two other parables which also speak
of delays. The idea of delay of time is what actually
links the three parables of servants, virgins, and talents. The
faithful servant in the first parable is rewarded with greater
authority and responsibilities while the evil servant, who
uses the delay of the master’s return to beat his fellow
servants
and to eat and drink with drunkards, suffers the final rejection
and damnation already promised to the “hypocrites”. The
first parable mainly concerns church leaders. Just as
Matthew warns his church that the final coming could occur
at any moment, he also warns the church to reckon with the
possibility of a delay. In the face of such a delay, the church,
and especially her leaders, must not become lax in official
oversight or in personal morals.
The third parable dealing with delay,
which follows immediately on today’s gospel, is the demanding
parable of the talents. Not every Christian receives
the same amount of blessings and ability. But one must
work with what one has, according to his own ability. Each
will be judged according to the amount he received in trust
and how much he worked with it to gain some further profit.
Those Christians who have worked wisely with the gift they
received will receive their reward. They will be declared on
the last day to be good and faithful servants and will be invited
to share the joy of their Lord. But fear, self-centeredness,
an unwillingness to work and take risks for the sake of growth-all
these are signs of evil and lazy servants.
Today’s gospel parable of the ten
virgins shares with the parable of the faithful and faithless
servants a number of common points: the delay of the key figure,
here the bridegroom, the ignorance of when exactly he will
come, the right and wrong response to this situation of ignorance
and the judgment or separation brought about by the sudden
arrival. 
We
notice in both parables that the delay of the key figure plays
an essential role; the time of delay, along with its sudden
ending, is what brings to light the qualities of fidelity or
infidelity, preparedness or negligence. A
slight difference, though, is noticeable in the way the delay-motif
is used. In the parable of the servants, the evil servant himself
remarks upon the delay of his Lord; in fact, his reliance on
the indefinite delay is what leads him into negligent and immoral
behavior. The problem with the virgins is that the foolish
ones had not reckoned with the possibility of delay. Matthew
thus corrects two excesses which could creep into the attitude
of a church faced with an indefinite future: laxity which
feeds on the fact of postponement and shortsighted
piety which
does not face the fact of postponement at all. To be “prudent”,
like the good servant and the five wise virgins, means to be
prepared and watchful. Ignorance of the exact time should call
forth vigilance, not negligence.
As we gather on this
All Souls Day to pray for all those who have died, let us not
neglect our own preparation for the day when we will see our
Maker face to face. May we be like the prudent, wise
virgins, always vigilant and watchful for our Lord’s
return.
