All Souls Day 2007
Homily given by Rev. Michael
J. Murray,
Priest Director,
Catholic Cemeteries of the Archdiocese of Washington, Inc.
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.
