🙏 SUNDAY INSIGHTS - ALL SOULS 🙏

First Reading - 2 Maccabees 12:42-45 

Second Reading - Philippians 3:20-21 

Gospel - Luke 7:11-17

Every human heart carries a longing for eternity. Whenever we stand before the mystery of death—whether at a funeral, in prayer for a loved one, or simply in moments of quiet reflection—we sense that there must be more to life than what we see. The readings today speak directly to that deep hope, reminding us that our God is not the God of the dead, but of the living, and that His mercy extends beyond the limits of this world.

In the first reading from the Second Book of Maccabees, we hear of Judas Maccabeus offering prayers and sacrifices for the fallen soldiers who had died in battle. He believed that “it is a holy and wholesome thought to pray for the dead, that they may be freed from their sins.” This profound faith reveals a truth we hold dear: that God’s love continues to purify and heal even after death. Our prayers for the departed are acts of love—signs that we believe God’s mercy reaches beyond the grave.

The second reading from the Letter to the Philippians lifts our gaze to our true homeland: heaven. St. Paul reminds us that “our citizenship is in heaven,” and that Christ will one day transform our lowly bodies to be like His glorious one. In a world that often clings to the temporary, Paul reorients our hearts toward the eternal. We live in this world, but we belong to another. This truth gives meaning to both our living and our dying, for we journey toward the fullness of life in Christ.

The Gospel of Luke brings this hope to life in a deeply moving way. Jesus encounters a funeral procession in the town of Nain—a widow who has lost her only son. Her future seemed empty, her life overshadowed by grief. But when Jesus sees her, He is moved with compassion. He touches the coffin and says, “Young man, I tell you, arise!” And the dead man sits up and begins to speak. Through this miracle, Jesus reveals the heart of God—one that sees our pain, enters our sorrow, and brings life where there is death.

This story is not only about one young man being raised; it is about the power of divine compassion that restores hope to all humanity. Jesus does not remain distant from our suffering. He meets us at our moments of greatest loss and reminds us that death does not have the final word. His presence turns mourning into joy, despair into trust, and loss into the promise of new life.

Dear friends, God’s mercy is stronger than death. Our prayers, our faith, and our hope are all rooted in this unshakable truth. Practically, this means we are called to keep hope alive—by praying for our loved ones who have died, by comforting those who grieve, and by living each day with our eyes fixed on heaven.

In moments of loss, let us remember that Jesus still walks beside every widow of Nain, still touches every coffin of pain, and still speaks the same word—“Arise.” His compassion calls us to trust that life is not ended, but changed. May we live with hearts full of hope, confident that the love we share in Christ will one day reunite us with all those who have gone before us into His everlasting embrace.