Nov 2 – All Souls Day
Today we celebrate a feast in commemoration of the faithful departed in purgatory, that is, the faithful departed who have not yet been purified and reached Heaven. After Abbot Odilo of Cluny instituted it in the monasteries of his congregation in 998, other religious orders took up the observance, and it was adopted by various dioceses and gradually by the whole Church. The Office of the Dead must be recited by the clergy on this day and Pope Benedict XV granted to all priests the privilege of saying three Masses of requiem: one for the souls in purgatory, one for the intention of the Holy Father, one for the priests.
- Patron Saint Index
Wis 3:1-9
Rm 5:5-11
Jn 6:37-40
The souls of the virtuous are in the hand of God.
She appeared out of nowhere. A lady dressed in a red cheongsam. Swirling a Chinese fan in one hand, her head rocked left and right in a rhythmic motion. Her eyes gazed into nothingness. She was just standing on the pavement’s edge. I was transfixed.
Moments earlier, I was driving home along Aljunied Road and had just turned into the area around Bidhadari cemetery. It was August 2014 and the cemetery was still in existence. The time was 11.00 pm and the winding road was not well lit. I really saw her. I drove past her. Her eyes never turned in my direction. She did not appear in my side or back mirror. I continued driving home slowly, saying the rosary along the way.
Today is the feast of All Souls. A day which the Catholic Church remembers its faithful departed who are in purgatory, having died in a state of grace, but with lesser sins on their soul. We believe in purgatory because Christ admonished us to be perfect as our heavenly father is perfect. Therefore, we need this purification of all sins before we can be in his eternal presence.
Sadly, to Protestant Christians, this Catholic doctrine is one of the most controversial. To them, purgatory is a medieval invention nowhere mentioned in the Bible. Worse, it makes a mockery of Christ’s sacrifice on the cross where he died once and for all, absolutely for our sins. “Once saved, always saved” so the Protestants say. There is no need for a second chance theology as sins are always forgiven! All will go to heaven.
As a Catholic, I can never understand such an easy way to eternal life. Jesus DOES preach on the famous ‘Sermon on the Mount’ that there is heaven, and there is hell (for the damned). There is definitely no automatic passage to heaven at all. Also, in 1 Corinthians 3, St Paul states that each man’s work will be tested with fire to reveal what sort of work was done. Those that survived the fire will see reward, while those that are burned up will suffer eternal loss. Clearly this fire is the judgment of God on our sins.
For many years, I had my doubts about the concept of a soul. There were times when I wondered if death was just darkness and nothingness. Then, I saw the lady in red. I am convinced that she was a spirit/ghost. In Chinese culture, and Taoist beliefs, these spirits (seen in red) have unresolved grievances. They are trapped in limbo, unable to have peace and are waiting for release from their suffering. Sadly, this spirit is probably one of them. In a way, she was experiencing her purgatory.
My ghostly encounter has cleared all doubts. I now believe in my soul and in purgatory. The Catholic church teaches that souls in purgatory suffer, as they are temporarily deprived of the beatific vision where they will have eternal unification with our father. Eventually, this will end when we are purified and perfect. I am so grateful that God’s eternal love has given us this second chance. For the alternative is just to go straight to hell!
(Today’s OXYGEN by Andrew Sia)
Prayer: God of mercy, I pray for all souls who although touched by death, have not yet entered your heavenly kingdom.
Thanksgiving: Thanks be to your eternal mercy and love that we have a second chance to be perfect.
OXYGEN 
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