All Souls Day (2023-11-02)

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All Souls Day     Yesterday – November 1^st -- All Saints Day, a day of reflection on the nature of sainthood, the qualities and virtues that make a person a saint, and our own personal journey towards embodying saintly virtues.

Today – November 2^nd - we observe All Souls Day, which provides an opportunity to delve deeper into the realm of the soul. What exactly is a soul?

What distinguishes us as souls, and what does this term entail in our human experience? The word "soul" carries interpretations related to music, to food … and to personality.

In the Catholic Catechism, the term "soul" is multifaceted, often referring to human life or the totality of an individual.

However, it also refers to the innermost and spiritually significant core of a person, the aspect that mirrors the divine image within us. Essentially, the soul embodies the spiritual essence of a human being.

St. Augustine has some “medical” and “spiritual” advice about the body and the soul and the difference between the 2:

“Take [GOOD] care of your body as if you were going to live forever; and take [GOOD] care of your soul as if you were going to die tomorrow.”

It is by our souls that we are judged and that we meet God.

Also, in Catholic sacramental life we speak not only being joined to others physically but also spiritually.

Matrimony is the union of 2 souls. We speak of spouses being “soul mates” and also good friends being “soul mates”

In confession, we confessing and repenting of what is in our souls. It is true that if, for example, if I have a troubled conscience or anxiety in my soul, I may feel this in my body – as perspiration, heart rate, etc.

 

On the plus side, if I feel spiritually relieved…if I receive forgiveness, I can move about more freely. I can breathe a sigh of relief.

Jesus says to the man who is forgiven and healed – body and soul. Rise pick up your mat and walk.

In other words, God wants us to be restored both body and soul.

But, we begin with the soul. We are called to pray, to silence, to reflect on what is in our souls.

 

            I would like to use an example of rebuilding – first of an actual building then of my own personal journey to the priesthood – to refer to both body and soul.

 

1.     Notre Dame Cathedral

At present, the iconic Notre Dame Cathedral in the city of Paris is need of extensive restoration and reconstruction, following a devastating fire in 2019.

The fervent hope of French government officials was to see the beautiful cathedral restored to its original grandeur and beauty, no later than the 2024 Paris Summer Olympic Games.

This is the dream not only of Catholic people in France, but of the French – in a sense, the church represents something both visible and invisible. The Church is the soul of the city

However, it appears that the cathedral may not be open in time for the Olympics and might be ready by Christmas 2024.

In the meantime you can come here to Notre Dame de Lourdes. Our Lady of Lourdes. We have a beautiful church. We are open.

While the physical restoration of the cathedral is indeed a remarkable endeavor, there is a more profound goal underlying this effort - the recovery of the cathedral's heart, soul, and intrinsic meaning.

      I daresay the government of France is wrong if they are opening the cathedral just to satisfy a tourist demand to take selfies and sell more products and get more people into restaurants. The church exists not only for the outside, but the inside. The soul.

Intriguingly, this Notre Dame construction endeavor is not merely about employing contemporary construction techniques.

Instead, it involves a commitment to using ancient tools and methods that mirror those employed by the original builders over 1,000 years ago. Builders are manufacturing, crafting knives, axes, and cutting tools, preserving the historic authenticity of the cathedral's construction. In doing so, they aim to rekindle the soul of the church, recognizing that the essence of this magnificent structure transcends its physical form. The soul.

 

2.     Personal example

Around the year 2000, I was working and living in and around Hoboken, NJ in Hudson County.

            I was comfortable there, but also sensing that I was called to do something else. And, that “something else” was to become a Catholic priest.

            And, there were changes to my life that I would be called to make both on the outside and inside.

            At the time – in 2000 – I started meeting with a local priest who became my spiritual director and was very helpful to me in understanding he Church and prayer and the priesthood.

            I remember he gave me this example back then about how the difference between appearance and reality, but that our feelings still have validity.

            He said – let’s say you come into school or work one day and you see someone and say “Good Morning” and the person appears to ignore you, blows you off and does not respond and you feel rejected, perhaps sad, maybe anxious, more…

            Later, that day, you discover that the person is going through a personal crisis that prevented him or from responding.

            But, does that mean that your feelings had no merit? No value?

            He was urging me to consider that there is a level – in our levels – beneath emotion and beneath feeling.

            This the soul and you and I are a body-soul unity not just being in control of our emotions.

            I have been, at times, in control of my emotions – at least nominally outwardly..but been a mess inside.

 

            Recently, I had a chance to visit this priest and friend again to talk about the priesthood and ministry

            The similarity is that now, 20 plus years later, I am still learning what it means to be called to be a priest and also to look beyond appearance.s.

            What it means to be rebuilt.

            It is a meaningful coincidence to me that he – my friend- lives in Hoboken, in the neighborhood where I used to live.

            So I went to 704 Jefferson Street, to St. Ann’s Church, to see him the other day.

            A recent visit to a neighborhood that held personal significance in the past serves as another illustration of the enduring nature of our internal experiences.

The urban landscape had changed, with many new buildings and altered streets.  I was determined not to use GPS as I had prior knowledge of the streets, but due to all the construction and new lanes, recreational parks, buildings, ramps, I had to use GPS.

It also felt strange to walk on these same streets carrying a smartphone. Back then, I had the most basic cell phone with very poor/low battery and I rarely turned it on.

However, amid these external changes, I also felt at home in an old neighborhood. The soul.

While external circumstances may evolve, our internal experiences, emotions, and recollections endure, forming an indelible part of our identity.

 

There is a connection between the physical and the spiritual aspects of our existence. The restoration of Notre Dame Cathedral demonstrates the significance of maintaining the spiritual essence and soul of a monumental structure, emphasizing that its authentic soul is far more enduring than the physical stones and arches.

Meanwhile, you and I have lasting identity of memories and experiences leave on the soul, regardless of external changes.

While our physical bodies may eventually decay, the soul remains immortal and possesses eternal value.

“Take [GOOD] care of your body as if you were going to live forever; and take [GOOD] care of your soul as if you were going to die tomorrow.” (Augustine)

This eternal aspect of the soul invites prayer about on our actions, our choices, and the quality of our lives. It underscores the idea that there is more to our existence than our finite physical presence.

You are probably well aware that as you get on board on airplane – flight on United or JetBlue – you are counted and the flight attendants take a final count of how many passengers are on board.

And, then before take-off, the pilot will report to the Air Traffic Controller a total count of every passenger, flight attendant, pilot, co-pilot – saying for example: “There are 155 souls on board”

            And, pilots will state the number of souls when declaring an emergency.

            The Church is also here to care for you in the emergencies and joys of life.

Acts like confession and prayer are deeply rooted in this understanding of the eternal nature of the soul. They are not merely mechanisms for self-improvement but rather expressions of our recognition of the eternal significance of the soul. When we go to confession, we do so not only in pursuit of personal betterment but also in acknowledgment of the eternal value of our soul and in the hope of attaining eternity in heaven.

Additionally, these acts of reverence and devotion extend to our regard for others. We are called to respect the inherent value of another person's soul, recognizing that they too possess eternal worth. Often, we may fail to discern this eternal aspect in our interactions, but our prayers should serve as a reminder to see people as God sees them, not just as physical bodies but as unique body-soul unities.

The soul has profound nature of the soul and eternal value. It prompts us to recognize that we are more than the sum of our physical experiences and that our actions and intentions resonate on a deeper, eternal plane. As we navigate the complexities of life, we are reminded to cherish and respect not only our own souls but also the souls of those we encounter, for within each soul lies an eternal spark, a reflection of the divine.

We pray for the eternal rest of our loved ones – the names to be read are _____29___ souls in our prayer list tonight. But, of course, each one is more than a number, but also a name and a person created by God and loved by you.

We also pray in the silence of our hearts for the eternal rest of all of our deceased loved ones.