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Today’s Word: 31st Sunday in Ordinary Time (All Souls Day) – November 2, 2025

Wisdom 3:1-9

Psalms 23:1-3, 3-4, 5, 6

Romans 5:5-11

John 6:37-40

Today is the thirty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time. It is also the Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed (All Souls Day). Yesterday, Nov. 1, was All Saints Day. These days are typically celebrated where large Christian populations reside, like Europe, South America and the United States.

Speaking from a Catholic point of view, we recognize and honor the blessed holy ones (saints) who have gone before us. We recognize those that are known and unknown. For All Souls Day, it is a time where we honor and recognize all those (family, friends and so on) who have gone before us, and especially those souls that may still be in purgatory.

Therefore, the readings for today (All Souls Day) seem to emphasize hope in God’s mercy, the importance of prayer and love for all those who have departed before us, and the purification of those souls in purgatory before entering heaven. The key themes include the understanding that the souls of the just are in God’s peace, the belief in salvation through Christ’s sacrifice while still sinners, and the hope for resurrection for all the faithful departed. 

The souls of the just are in God’s care, as it says in the Book of Wisdom (the first reading) today, “But the souls of the righteous are in the hand of God, and no torment will ever touch them.” (Wisdom 3:1, The Great Adventure Bible – Revised Standard Version – 2nd Catholic Edition). We know this brings them peace as the passage continues. It says, “In the eyes of the foolish they seemed to have died, and their departure was thought to be an affliction, and their going from us to be their destruction; but they are at peace.” (Wisdom 3:2-3, The Great Adventure Bible – RSV – 2nd Catholic Edition). This appears to provide a sense of comfort and security, while pointing out that those who have died in God’s grace are not truly lost.

Jumping to the New Testament theme, the reading from Romans emphasizes the idea Christ died for us while we were still sinners, proving God’s love. “But God shows his love for us in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us. Since, therefore, we are now justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life.” (Romans 5:8-10, The Great Adventure Bible – RSV – 2nd Catholic Edition). The passage further demonstrates that if God has already reconciled us through Christ’s death, we can have even greater confidence in being saved through His life.

Jesus speaks a promise to those listening that he is doing the “will of him who sent me.” (John 6:39, The Great Adventure Bible – RSV – 2nd Catholic Edition). The promise is that for everyone who “sees the Son and believes in him should have eternal life;” (John 6:40, The Great Adventure Bible – RSV – 2nd Catholic Edition), and Jesus will raise them on the last day. This is the hope for resurrection.

Take time to pray for loved ones and all those departed from us. Lift them up in prayer. Pray for yourself as well. You, me, all of us are on a journey to sainthood and purification. Offer those petitions to the Lord this day, and every day.

So I believe this message is good for this week as well as last week. It always seems appropriate. So, as I will leave you with this scripture from Paul’s letter to the Thessalonians, take heart in Paul’s words, where he writes, “Rejoice always, pray constantly, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 – RSV – 2nd Catholic Edition)

Stay strong with your faith and try to persevere through all hardships. And always…ALWAYS…give thanks to God!

kellym40 faith, General

God Reveals, Manifests Himself to the Nations

Today, January 7, 2024, is the observance of Epiphany in the Catholic Church. This day is recognized as falling on January 6. Epiphany comes from Greek origin, meaning “revelation from above.” In 567, the Council of Tours set Christmas and Epiphany as special days in the Church on the dates of December 25 and January 6, respectively, and the 12 days in between became the Christmas season. In the Church, Christmas is celebrated more than one day. As mentioned, it is a season lasting nearly two weeks.

So, all the readings today have an interconnected theme or idea running through them. The day is a time when Jesus is revealed to the world to be the Son of God, who will become the savior of the world. At this time, Jesus is being revealed to Israel and the nations as referenced in the first reading. Through these readings, we discover the Gentiles will come to know the God of Israel.

Today we recognize Jesus is the Son of God and how that revelation came about on the day of his birth. This revelation came to the magi on their visit to the baby Jesus. The day also recognizes this epiphany at Jesus’ baptism at the Jordan River as well as the miracle at the wedding in Cana (turning water into wine).

First I will dive in to the gospel reading for today. The idea of the revelation about Jesus is reflected in the other readings today. The gospel is the account of the magi visiting the Christ child. It is from Matthew, Chapter 2. The magi first go to King Herod and inquire about the newborn Jesus. The magi recite, more of paraphrase a passage from the prophet Micah, because Matthew’s passage also references another passage from Samuel:

“And you, Bethlehem, land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah, since from you shall come a ruler, who it to shepherd my people Israel.” (Matthew 2:6, NAB)

This passage also goes back to King David, since Jesus was born from the line of David. 2 Samuel says, “…you shall shepherd my people Israel…” (2 Samuel 5:2, NAB)

Upon arriving, the magi offer gifts for the baby Jesus. The gifts of the magi – gold, because Jesus will be King; frankincense, because he will be a high priest; and myrrh is for the prophetic nature of Jesus being the Lamb of God – says they realized he was a newborn king and were prepared with the gifts they offered. Jesus is the sacrificial lamb for the redemption of the world. Jesus (God) not only reveals himself but he manifests himself to the nations. This is represented by the magi that come to visit. They made the choice to follow the star, bring gifts and pay the new king homage.

In the first reading from the Old Testament, the prophet Isaiah proclaims that a light will come to Zion to bless the people. Darkness has come over the people through paganism, idolatry and such. Jesus will be the light. This should give us faith and hope in what God is doing for the chosen people, and for us now. Verse six states, “Caravans of camels shall cover you, dromedaries of Midian and Ephah, all from Sheba shall come bearing gold and frankincense, and heralding the praises of the lord.” (Isaiah 60:6, NAB) This is in reference to the magi.

The psalm is from Psalm 72, and is a beautiful hymn of praise to the king of Israel, asking for the king to rule with justice and fairness. During this time, people were known to intercede for the king, offering prayers and praises because the king is human, giving only what he has received from God. The people realize God is worthy to be praised and offers the same for the king of Israel to rule with goodness on its people.

“O God, give your judgement to the king; your justice to the king’s son; that he may govern your people with justice, your oppressed with right judgment. … May the kings of Tarshish and the islands bring tribute, the kings of Sheba and Seba offer gifts. May all kings bow before him, all nations serve him.” (Psalm 72:2, 10-11, NAB)

The second reading from the New Testament today illustrates further God revealing himself to the Gentiles (the world). In Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, he writes the revelation of Jesus as the Son of God to his apostles is written in the gospel. Paul states even the Gentiles are “coheirs, members of the same body…” (Ephesians 3:6, NAB) It is Paul’s point, at the beginning of the letter, everyone who believes and follows the gospel is a son or daughter of God:

“…if, as I suppose, you have heard of the stewardship of God’s grace that was given to me for your benefit, (namely, that) the mystery was made known to me by revelation, as I have written briefly earlier. … which was not made known to human beings in other generations as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit, that the Gentiles are coheirs, members of the same body, and copartners in the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.” (Ephesians 3: 2-3a, 5-6, NAB)

How has God manifested himself to you? How do you respond with such a revelation? Take time today to reflect on this epiphany of Jesus as the Son of God, and always take time for God to give him his rightful honor and praise.