DEATH SHOULD not hinder people from reconnecting with their deceased loved ones, a Dominican priest said, as he urged Catholics to make prayer a means to strengthen their union with the departed.
In his homily during the mass for the faithful departed, Faculty of Arts and Letters regent Fr. George Phe Mang, O.P said remembering the dead can be done through prayer as it is a reminder of their everlasting and “constant communion” with the living.
“Today, we remember all souls, all the faithful departed. We show our union in those who have died and are making the transition to the fullness of God’s presence,” Phe Mang said at the Santisimo Rosario Parish church on Thursday, Nov. 2.
“Our prayers and our love unite us with our departed loved ones because it expresses our constant communion with them in the Lord,” he added.
According to Phe Mang, God raises up the souls of those who believe in Him by bestowing eternal life even if they lived as sinners. Committing sins, he added, is a human act that does not amount to how great God’s love is for His people.
“God has gone so far as he sent Jesus down to Earth to live as human, to teach us to suffer and to die for us while we are still sinners, showing us His greatest love,” he said.
Phe Mang noted that humans, despite being sinners, can still redeem themselves by devoting time and care to the deceased, eventually attaining eternal life and celebrating the “glorious throne” of Jesus Christ.
“We believe in the promise of God for the departed brothers and sisters, in our love, in our care, in our compassion and prayers. Because, remember, they cannot help themselves anymore, they cannot pray for themselves anymore, except for our prayers that can help,” he said.
The mass for the faithful departed was celebrated during All Souls’ Day to remember and pray for those who are believed to be in Purgatory so that they can enter heaven. It comes after All Saints’ Day, which honors those who demonstrated exemplary faith and virtues during their lifetime. F – Cali Asajar with reports from Katherine Chan
