Missing Yet Connected – All Saints Day

This picture of All Saints is found in the organ loft above the sacristy.

Mass Times All Saints Day

+ Monday – ALL SAINTS VIGIL

 2.30 pm – 6.20 pm – /Kettering / Eucharistic Adoration and Rosary for the Sanctity of Life

6.30pm – /Kettering /Get well int.

 + Tuesday – ALL SAINTS

10.00 am – /Kettering /Canon Jason Jones – Silver Jubilee of Ordination

5.30 pm – /Desborough/ – the deceased of the Rothwell and Desborough communities

7.00 pm – /Kettering /for the Parish

November is a time when we particularly think of our loved ones and friends who have passed away. Across the world there are various ways in which society honours its dead. We do this with funeral services, eulogies, anniversary remembrance services/masses and memorials. We treat our deceased as missing, yet still connected to us in some way.

Christianity adds to this sentiment with one crucial insight. We are still connected with our departed, because we are one in Christ. He is the one who gathered everyone to Him in death….. and in His resurrection. In his gospel, John used opposing images of life and death. He also turned these images upside down to make a point. Death led to life; here death was used in a literal sense and as a metaphor for self-giving (“dying to self”). In Christ, the meaning of death was used in both senses; His literal death was His death to the self for the good of others. The farming analogy of the seed painted this point beautifully [John 12:24]. Christ’s death and resurrection became the example and the power for our self-giving [25].

To follow Christ meant to partake in His death and resurrection in a very real way. When Christ died and rose again, the Father was present. When the Christian served and died to self, Christ was present; if Christ was present, so was the Father [26]. God is truly present in our unselfish acts. Just as Christ is truly present when we are fed with the Eucharist, He is present when we feed others through our selfless acts.

The high point of God’s self-giving is Christ on the cross. At the right time (the “hour”), Jesus gave Himself up to the Father in a very public and humiliating manner. Jesus’ life, symbolised by His death, was a failure in the eyes of many at the time. By raising Jesus, however, God vindicated His Son and His self-giving revelation. Death led to life. Faith grew as Christ on the cross drew everyone to himself. [John 12:27-28, 32-33].

How has Christ drawn us to Himself? How has His “draw” changed us?

November, and in particular All Saints Day and All Souls Day, gives us a chance to reflect on God’s love and on the way we view death. Nothing will separate us from God’s love. Death (both symbolically in our self-giving, and literally) is the door to God’s love. In God’s love we are alive (both figuratively and literally). In Christ, we are all truly connected.

All Saints’ Day November 1^st is the memorial of all those in Heaven.  Just as each of the canonised saints (those officially recognised by the Church through miracles etc. as being in Heaven) have their individual feast days, the Church celebrates all the ordinary people in Heaven on their special feast day – November 1^st!  These saints (including our loved ones) can pray powerfully for us – just ask them!

All Souls’ Day November 2^nd is the memorial of all who have gone before who are in Purgatory for their final purification before they enter Heaven.   As they cannot pray for themselves, we do a great act of mercy when we pray for them and ask them for their prayers for us.