^{All Souls Day Evening 2025}
Although this is not a Holy Day of Obligation, faithful Catholics flock to the churches today so they may help the holy souls in Purgatory, who cannot help themselves.  Purgatory is a creation of love.  One must be perfect to enter Heaven, so God in His mercy gives souls a way to burn out the roots of their vices so they may freely receive their eternal reward.  This may be our very last All Souls’ Day Mass before we die.  The words “Requiem æternam done eis Domine” were found on the tombs of Christians of the third century.  The Church has adopted those words for this Mass.  We must take up the standard of the Catholics of years past and fervently pray for the dead.
#20251103M