Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed

“The souls of the just are in the hand of God, and no torment shall touch them. They seemed, in the view of the foolish, to be dead; and their passing away was thought an affliction and their going forth from us, utter destruction. But they are in peace. For if before men, indeed, they be punished, yet is their hope full of immortality; chastised a little, they shall be greatly blessed, because God tried them and found them worthy of himself. As gold in the furnace, he proved them, and as sacrificial offerings he took them to himself. In the time of their visitation they shall shine, and shall dart about as sparks through stubble; they shall judge nations and rule over peoples, and the Lord shall be their King forever. Those who trust in him shall understand truth, and the faithful shall abide with him in love: because grace and mercy are with his holy ones, and his care is with his elect.” -Wisdom 3:1-9
 
When gold is pulled from the earth, it is placed inside a crucible heated by fire. The fire melts the gold, and the impurities float to the surface, where they are wiped away.
 
Similarly, when the Lord calls a soul from the earth who still holds onto minor sins, it is like gold being placed in a crucible. The soul demands to be pure and unblemished in the presence of the Lord and willingly undergoes the purification process. It is not the Lord who demands this, but the soul's longing for cleansing and closeness with God. 
 
The souls in that crucible rely on our daily prayers to speed their purification. Let us pray; “Eternal Father, I offer Thee the Most Precious Blood of Thy Divine Son, Jesus, in union with the Masses said throughout the world today, for all the Holy Souls in Purgatory, for sinners everywhere, for sinners in the universal Church, those in my own home, and within my family. Amen.”
 
All Poor Holy Souls, pray for us.
 
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Jesus, I trust in you.