Reminder: This Year, All Saints’ Day Is On Friday, 1 November, And A Holy Day Of Obligation. All Souls’ Day Is Saturday, 2 November.

Text and Illustrations: OFFERIMUS TIBI DOMINE

ALL SAINTS’ DAY and ALL SOULS’ DAY: A reminder that All Saints’ Day is a Holyday of Obligation.

While the obligation was suspended during the pandemic, we should remember that it has now been re-instated.

According to The Code of Canon Law, Sunday, the day we celebrate The Resurrection of Our Lord, is always observed as the foremost Holy Day of Obligation for the universal Church.

The obligation involved is simply the duty to attend Mass on that day. We should not forget the importance of these Holy Days.

The Constitution on The Sacred Liturgy of The Second Vatican Council stated: “Thus recalling the mysteries of the redemption, The Church opens up to the Faithful, the riches of her Lord’s powers and merits, so that these are in some way made present for all time; the Faithful lay hold of them and are filled with saving grace” (#102).

Therefore, the importance of attending Mass on Sunday or any other Holy Day is not simply because of an obligation, but why it is an obligation.

Our lives are so busy, and we face so many distractions. We could lose sight of God or become numb to His presence. Maybe we do have to sacrifice to attend Mass by re-arranging our schedule or suffering some inconvenience to the normal course of life.

So what ?

Our cherishing the mysteries of our salvation should take precedence over the exigencies of living in this world.

Remember at The Last Supper, Jesus reminded the Apostles that while they live in the world, they are not of this world (John 17:13-19).

The Holy Days help us to remember the same.

Therefore, we must pause to ponder, celebrate, and live the mystery of salvation by marking each Sunday, these special Holy Events, and the lives of those who are exemplars of Faith, with the offering of The Holy Mass.

All Souls’ Day (2 November): Whilst not a Holy Day of Obligation, it is indeed a very Holy Day, set aside to Pray for those who have died and who may need the benefit of our Prayers to help them on their way through Purgatory (the preparation or purification to enable them to be ready and able to see God face to face in all His glory).

All Souls’ Day initiates a whole month - November - when we are encouraged to Pray for “The Holy Souls” each day.

It is an ancient tradition that people visit cemeteries to Pray for the dead on 2 November or during the month of November.

This is the Catholic reality and origin of Halloween. A far cry from the corrupted secular celebration of “Halloween” (All Hallow’s (Saints’) Eve) that we will see around us this week, which is a conflation and misunderstanding of these two Holy Feasts.

The “ghosts and ghoulies”, so prevalent in today’s money-oriented social activities, originate from the tradition of visiting a graveyard to Pray for our loved ones.

So, if you are going to the trouble of carving out pumpkins and giving out treats to random children who ring your doorbell with threats to egg your front door, don’t forget to come and Pray for your deceased loved ones.

An effort with rather better fruits, surely ?