A post from the trail. Trail names changed to respect privacy. Plus, I lost my glasses. It’s a good story but no fairytale ending. Only real trail life.
I met TreeLine on the trail. Older guy, by 10 years, but experienced hiker. Another asked that IÂ watch over him for a day. TreeLine has a very deliberate rhythm of effort and rest. We had a great time together. So we repeated it a second day, but I kept a pace more in line with my natural gate.
We developed a communication system.
The photo is of a party favor left over from a priest retirement party. So I took it with me. At a hut one night, I showed my bear whistle to a seasoned trail hiker. I blew it for him. His face got dark and somberly said, “That is the sound of a dying rabbit.”
Never to let facts trouble me, as TreeLine hiked behind me, I would call out with the party favor. If he heard it, he’d grunt back.
On the third day together, the distance became too long. So if another NOBO came past, I would ask if he saw him and how he was doing. If a SOBO came through, I would ask they to relay my encouragement when they meet him.
The best were the day hikers. They could relay in both directions. And with heart. Some even spent time with him, sharing stories and the vista.
TreeLine caught on and started sending messages ahead. Everyone was a good sport. He no doubt enjoyed the Party Line.
Two olden, solo hikers, making community out of thin air.
Well, on the 3rd day, problems. He slipped and fell doing a river crossing. Got to a trailhead, to urgent care, then a flight home.
At the same time (poetic timing), I took a major fall (somersault) down the side of the mountain. On my third visit to urgent care today. I’m not sure if this is a trail ending.
It was amazing the kindness people offer. Eric and Evelyn drove me to urgent care. David, PA, was most helpful.
Each of them, a lot of people, just need a reason and purpose to help. Don’t be afraid to ask for help. Don’t be afraid to lend a helping hand. And always remember gratitude.
Greetings on this the The Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed (All Souls) Readings: Wisdom 3:1-9; Psalm 23:1-3a, 3b-4, 5, 6; Romans 5:5-11; John 6:37-40
This homily is given at the 10:30 AM Mass.
Facebook vid of Mass
Summary
The liturgy of All Saints (a Solemnity) and the liturgy of All Souls Days (a Commemoration) are in perfect harmony of the Order of Christian Funerals. All Saints, just a day ago, and Hallow Eve (the Vigil of All Saints) are the trifecta of memories!
After I was ordained, a priest friend counselled me on the most important things I can do to help the faithful in the course of their lives. He said, “For deacons, there are three times where you have the unique ability to aid people in their spiritual lives as a minister and they are:
Hatch
Match
and Dispatch
translating the Sacraments and Service of:
Baptism
Matirmony
Funeral Liturgy
I always listen closely to a holy priest.
All Saints and All Souls encompasses everyone.
In these special holy days of the Church at prayer, we keep a special place in our hearts for the Church Triumphant and the Church Suffering. Loosely translated again:
Those we ‘know‘ are in heaven either through declared Sainthood known or Saints unknown or in our hearts certainty.
Those who have died recently and/or can be presumed to be in Purgatory – the final preparation to see God face-to-face.
But the relationships are the same, only the prayer focus is different.
But most important our memory. I invite you now to take a moment to listen to your own heart. Remembering those who have gone before you. Mothers, Fathers, Aunt, Uncles, Friends, Kind Strangers, our beloved Saint Mark’s priests who have passed, teachers/mentors/neighbors, Difficult people who always caused us grief, that is to say, everyone that comes to mind right now during this Holy Mass. For the rest of this Mass, direct your prayers and thoughts about and to those who have gone before.
I will pause here for a moment. Remember is the Anamnesis is the technical Greek term meaning “to make present again” through remembrance. This is central rational to our faith.
(pause)
We pray for those in purgation – as like any life improvement we have already experienced is what we can call a good pain. Losing weight is a good pain, kicking an addiction is a good pain, mastering a skill is a good pain, and learning to love again, is a good pain. Seeing God face-to-face in stages is as like the lifting of a thick fog in the early morning, both painful and joyful, but always, finally, successful. We pray for their journey. We pray for their Exodus. IN a way, we are souls in Purgatory too (for some in this life, difficultly is constant), so we pray and ask them to pray for us, even as they continue their own prayer and sanctification.
We pray with the Saints, who have entered the Exodus of Jesus, that is, who have entered the passion of Jesus, and are moved and in constant motion of prayer for us. We thank them, we ask them to help in particular ways. Patron Saints are honored and moved by are particular concerns.
This Church and her doors should be likened to the Gates of Heaven. When you enter here, all the living and dead are here too! We call them dead because they are radically separated body and soul. Our interaction with them is spiritually bases. But they are very much alive as Jesus has conquered death!
Let us remember too, the center of a Funeral is the Holy Eucharist as the communion of the entirety of the Church, just like we are gather here today.
This is why we recommend very powerfully that a Funeral Mass be said for those who have died. In the Mass and in the funeral rite, the Christian community keeps watch with one another in prayer to the God of Mercy and to find strength in Christ’s presence. We celebrate Christ’s victory over sin and death, commend our brother/sister to God’s tender mercy and compassion, seeking strength in the paschal mystery (the Passion of Jesus). As one body in Christ in signs and symbols, word and gesture that each believer, through baptism, shares in Christ’s death and resurrection. And one day all the elect will be raised up and be united in the kingdom of light and peace.
Each of these will be remembered during this Mass several times through your remembering and through the liturgy, throughout the Church and through the month of November.
Right now in your participation in this homily. You aren’t just listening, you are directing prayer.
In the Prayers of the Faithful.
Our presider will read the names of the deceased perishoners of 2025 and remembered throughout the month of November.
In the Eucharistic prayer.
This is our one time per year, that no matter the reason someone was missed (or we missed their funeral) it cannot be we end the Liturgical year without remembering them. ALL.OF.THEM.
Reflection
The souls of the righteous are in the hand of God, and no torment shall touch them. [Because] I will dwell in the house of the LORD for endless days. [By the divine action] God proves his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us. For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in him may have eternal life, and I shall raise him [on] the last day. (Wis 3:1, P 23:6, Rom 5:8, Jn 6:40).
Personal Reflection
Before I conclude, again a pause, silently recall and move your lips remembering the names of those you lost.
(pause)
From the opening prayer for All the Dead
O God, who willed that your only Begotten Son, having conquered death, should pass over into the realm of heaven, grant we pray, to your departed servants, that with the mortality of this life overcome, they may gaze eternally on you their Creator and Redeemer. And let the people say: Amen!
Greetings on this the The Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed (All Souls) Readings: Wisdom 3:1-9; Psalm 23:1-3a, 3b-4, 5, 6; Romans 5:5-11; John 6:37-40
This homily is given at the 4:00 PM Vigil Mass.
Summary
The liturgy of All Saints (a Solemnity) and the liturgy of All Souls Days (a Commemoration) are in perfect harmony of the Order of Christian Funerals. Since we still have the aroma of this morning’s Solemnity Mass, we can hardly fail to mention it at the Vigil of the Commemoration.
All Saints and All Souls encompasses everyone.
The dividing line can be thought of in two ways.
Those we ‘know‘ are in heaven either through declared Sainthood known or Saints unknown or in our hearts certainty.
Those who have died recently and/or can be presumed to be in Purgatory – the final preparation to see God face-to-face.
But the relationships are the same, only the prayer focus is different.
But most important our memory. I invite you now to take a moment to listen to your own heart. Remembering those who have gone before you. Mothers, Fathers, Aunt, Uncles, Friends, Kind Strangers, our beloved Saint Mark’s priests who have passed, teachers/mentors/neighbors, Difficult people who always caused us grief, that is to say, everyone that comes to mind right now during this Holy Mass. For the rest of this Mass, direct your prayers and thoughts about and to those who have gone before.
I will pause here for a moment. Remember is the Anamnesis is the technical Greek term meaning “to make present again” through remembrance. This is central rational to our faith.
(pause)
We pray for those in purgation – as like any life improvement we have already experienced is what we can call a good pain. Losing weight is a good pain, kicking an addiction is a good pain, mastering a skill is a good pain, and learning to love again, is a good pain. Seeing God face-to-face in stages is as like the lifting of a thick fog in the early morning, both painful and joyful, but always, finally, successful. We pray for their journey. We pray for their Exodus. We are souls in Purgatory too (for some in this life, difficult), so we pray and ask them to pray for us, even as they continue their own prayer.
We pray with the Saints, who have entered the Exodus of Jesus, that is, who have entered the passion of Jesus, and are moved and in constant motion of prayer for us. We thank them, we ask them to help in particular ways.
This Church and her doors should be likened to the Gates of Heaven. When you enter here, all the living and dead are here too! We call them dead because they are radically separated body and soul. OU rinteraction is spiritually alone. But they are very much alive as Jesus conquered death!
Let us remember too, the center of a Funeral is the Holy Eucharist as the communion of the entirety of the Church, just like we are gather here today.
This is why we recommend very powerfully that a Funeral Mass be said for those who have died. In the Mass and in the funeral rite, the Christian community keeps watch with one another in prayer to the God of Mercy and to find strength in Christ’s presence. We celebrate Christ’s victory over sin and death, commend our brother/sister to God’s tender mercy and compassion, seeking strength in the paschal mystery (the Passion of Jesus). As one body in Christ in signs and symbols, word and gesture that each believer, through baptism, shares in Christ’s death and resurrection. And one day all the elect will be raised up and be united in the kingdom of light and peace.
Each of these will be remembered during this Mass several times through your remembering and through the liturgy, throughout the Church and through the month of November.
Right now in your participation in this homily. You aren’t just listening, you are directing prayer.
In the Prayers of the Faithful.
Our poster board of the deceased perishoners of 2025 displayed in the back of the Church (throughout the month of November).
In the Eucharistic prayer.
This is our one time per year, that no matter the reason someone was missed (or we missed their funeral) it cannot be we end the Liturgical year without remembering them. ALL.OF.THEM.
Reflection
The souls of the righteous are in the hand of God, and no torment shall touch them. [Because] I will dwell in the house of the LORD for endless days. [By the divine action] God proves his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us. For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in him may have eternal life, and I shall raise him [on] the last day. (Wis 3:1, P 23:6, Rom 5:8, Jn 6:40).
Personal Reflection
Before I conclude, again a pause, silently recall and move your lips remembering the names of those you lost.
(pause)
From the opening prayer for All the Dead
O God, who willed that your only Begotten Son, having conquered death, should pass over into the realm of heaven, grant we pray, to your departed servants, that with the mortality of this life overcome, they may gaze eternally on you their Creator and Redeemer. And let the people say: Amen!
Greetings on this the Solemnity of All Saints Readings: Revelation 7:2-4, 9-14; Psalm 24:1bc-2, 3-4ab, 5-6; 1 John 3:1-3; Matthew 5:1-12a
Summary
The liturgy of All Saints (Solemnity) and the liturgy of All Souls Days (Commemoration) are in perfect harmony of the Order of Christian Funerals. With the exception of one psalm, which I will describe shortly, all the same sacred readings as available in the Funeral Liturgy. The funeral liturgy has many options for Old Testament, New Testament and Gospel readings but these stand out as central to our prayers:
The Prayer with the Dead alive in Heaven. Dedicated to all who have entered heaven, including the saints recognized by the Church and those not but who pray with and for us and work with the Lord to help us in our militant struggles.
The Prayer for the Dead alive but suffering. Dedicate to those who have recently died and need our prayerful aid to reach Heaven. They too are learning to pray for others and pray for us as we pray for them.
The Prayer by the Dead for the Militant Earthbound. Both those in Heaven and those in Purgatory pray for us. In the first case, it is their passion in the Lord and in the second case their purification.
When we are able to have a Christian burial these readings are used. If for whatever reason you are not able to make a funeral of a loved one, these Holy Days allows us to pray for them together in the same way we would or did in a Funeral with Mass or a Funeral without Mass liturgy we had for them or wished we had for them. Today is a perfect day to remember them.
So Saturday and Sunday are particularly helpful to us in our grief, in our hopes and in the expression of trust in the divine. He has overcome death for us and for our eternal joy.
All of this bound to the liturgy described by the 24th Psalm. Which, in summary, expresses the Liturgy of the Holy Mass.
Old Testament Readings
Revelation 7:2-4, 9-14
Wisdom 3:1-9, Wisdom 4:7-15, Isa 25:6-9
Psalmology
Psalm 23:1-3a, 3b-4, 5, 6
Psalm 24:1bc-2, 3-4ab, 5-6 – the stand out.
New Testament Readings
1 John 3:1-3
Romans 5:5-11 or Romans 6:3-9 (options) or 1 Cor 15:51-57, Phil 3:20-21, 2 COR 4:14-5:1
Gospel Readings
Matthew 5:1-12a
John 6:37-40, Jn 14:1-6, Jn 14:2:13-22
Psalm 24
Psalm 24 is considered a Liturgical Psalm. It parallels perfectly the purpose and flow of the Holy Mass. It has a specific flow:
It commemorates the entry of God and the people into the Temple (The Mountain – Entrance procession and song of praise in the Church).
The praise of creation – the works of the Lord – natural and salvific (Pentitential Rite, Gloria).
The people affirm their belief in God (Apostle’s Creed).
We bow low in supplication and awe (Prayers of the Faithful).
Lift High your gates – the elimination of barriers to salvation and the New Jerusalem (Liturgy of the Eucharistic Sacrifice).
The earth is the LORD’s and all it holds, the world and those who dwell in it. For he founded it on the seas, established it over the rivers. Who may go up the mountain of the LORD? Who can stand in his holy place? “The clean of hand and pure of heart, who has not given his soul to useless things, what is vain. He will receive blessings from the LORD, and justice from his saving God. Such is the generation that seeks him, that seeks the face of the God of Jacob.” Lift up your heads, O gates; be lifted, you ancient portals, that the king of glory may enter. Who is this king of glory? the LORD, strong and mighty, the LORD, mighty in war. Lift up your heads, O gates; rise up, you ancient portals, that the king of glory may enter. Who is this king of glory? The LORD of hosts, he is the king of glory (PS 24).
Mass, in particularly Funeral Mass
This is why we recommend very powerfully that a Funeral Mass be said for those who have died. In the Mass and in the funeral rite, the Christian community keeps watch with one another in prayer to the God of Mercy and to find strength in Christ’s presence. We celebrate Christ’s victory over sin and death, commend our brother/sister to God’s tender mercy and compassion, seeking strength in the paschal mystery (the Passion of Jesus). As one body in Christ in signs and symbols, word and gesture that each believer, through baptism, shares in Christ’s death and resurrection. And one day all the elect will be raised up and united in the kingdom of light and peace.
Reflection
“Salvation comes from our God, who is seated on the throne, and from the Lamb.” Beloved, we are God’s children now; what we shall be has not yet been revealed. We do know that when it is revealed we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven. (Rev 7:10b, Jn 3:2, Matt 5:12a).
Personal Reflection
On this occasion remember your beloved dead. Come to Mass today and tomorrow. Pray for them, and pray with them. Pray with heaven and earth for the good of all creation.
