Today we celebrate All Soul’s Day. It is also called the Commemoration of all the Faithful Departed. The focus of the Liturgy is captured in the Opening Prayer: “O Lord, listen kindly to our prayers, and, as our faith in your Son, raised from the dead, is deepened, so may our hope of resurrection for your departed servants also find new strength.”
The reading from the Second Book of Maccabees (second century B.C.) relates the earliest statement in the Bible that prayers and sacrifices for our beloved dead are beneficial.
On this day we prayerfully hold up to God all of our loved ones who have died that they may know eternal peace and rest. Our prayer for them also emphasizes our connectedness and communion with them. When the memory of a loved one who has died comes to mind, consider it as an opportunity to pray for that person.