The practice of praying for the dead, the offering of Mass intentions, the visiting of graves, they all make sense if we believe the foundational truth of Christianity. Because Jesus is raised into newness of life, into fullness of life by God’s glory, there is hope for us. The song entitled “You raise me up”, speaks to us of the reason for our hope. It says: “You raise me up so I can stand on mountains. You raise me up to walk on stormy seas. I am strong when I am on your shoulders. You raise me up, to more than I can be.”
It is that raising up that anchors the Feast of All Souls. It is that end-time summation of all we are and hoped to be. Like a reunion with a long lost family member or friend, the will of the Father is to have us with him. But there is a second raising up that we celebrate today. It is the raising up of our prayers for the deceased. Because we love them, because they have been so much a part of our lives, we raise them up in prayer to God. We hope that just as our love made a difference in their living, so our love will raise them up to union with God.
Today and the month of November are dedicated to remembering and praying for the dead. Let us spend some time in prayer lifting up those who have gone before us and being lifted up by their lives and love.
