Don Bosco Philippines South Province

Homily on All Souls Day; 2 Nov 2025, SJBP Cotcot, Liloan

oday, we gather together to pray for the faithful departed, esp. those who are dear to us, and those most forgotten in Purgatory. We pray also for the souls of those who have died in the recent calamities – may they all rest in the loving embrace of our heavenly Father for all eternity.

I remember having watched a movie on an international flight. It was entitled Coco. It is the story of a boy named Miguel who dreamed of becoming a renowned and accomplished musician like his idol Ernesto de la Cruz. One day, desperate to prove his talent, Miguel suddenly found himself in the stunning and colorful Land of the Dead. After meeting a charming trickster named Héctor, the two new friends embarked on an extraordinary journey to unlock the real story behind Miguel’s family history. There he discovered that the one he idolized was actually his uncle.

What amused me most about the story was how the dead were depicted. According to the movie, in the land of the dead, people die a second death when no one remembers them. Patay na gani sila, mamatay pa sila pagusab. And signs of this second death may be seen here on earth, as for instance, whatever pictures and photos they have left behind begin to fade away until their faces totally vanish. Just imagine the faces of your deceased loved ones suddenly fading out from your family pictures, frames and albums because you have not remembered them in your prayers and have not visited their graves for decades.

But you may ask, is it really true that there is a second death? … that when nobody remembers the dead anymore they vanish totally both in this world and in the underworld?

Our Asian culture teaches us the value of keeping our connectivity with our ancestors even after their death. Like many other Asians, we Filipinos are accustomed to keep ever alive in our hearts the memory of the deceased members of our family. We do this every year, some even everyday, because we love them, and we believe they are never really dead. They continue to live in our hearts and in the other world. Sometimes if we don’t visit their tombs, they come back to our world to visit us and make their presence felt among us. Some extend a helping hand to those whom they have left behind. Others ask for prayers. That is why we are gathered here today to offer prayers for them. We also offer Masses on their birthdays and death anniversaries.

The solid basis of this customary practice is the good news of Christ our Lord. Although he died a violent and cruel death, on the third day he rose again to a glorious and eternal life, never to experience a second death. Our Christian faith, therefore, tells us that we who, believe in Jesus, will live forever. A second death happens only for those who die without accepting Christ’s saving grace and God’s merciful love. If they want to go to hell contrary to the Father’s will, they will surely end up in hell.

Therefore as part of our Catholic faith and tradition we continue to remember and pray for the deceased members of our family and loved ones. We pray especially for those who might still be suffering and are being purified in Purgatory. We believe and hope that the Masses, the Rosaries and other prayers we offer may hasten their entrance to the gates of paradise where God is waiting to welcome all of us into his loving embrace.

Moreover we pray in this Holy Mass also for ourselves – may we be inspired to live saintly and holy lives, so that, after our death, we will not have to suffer the purifying fires of Purgatory. During this Jubilee Year we are given the chance to have all our sins forgiven and all the years we deserve to be in Purgatory cancelled out, not because of our own merits but because of God’s overwhelming love and boundless compassion. This is what it means to gain a plenary indulgence.

One who has committed a horrible sin may end of in despair thinking he has no more hope or chance of being redeemed or forgiven. This has happened to Judas Iscariot and it continues to happen to many followers of Christ even today. But St Paul consoles us in the Second Reading (Rom 5:5-11) we have heard “Hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out into our heart through the Holy Spirit… for Christ while we were still helpless (and hopeless) died for the ungodly.” This is precisely the HOPE we are celebrating this Jubilee Year. And to make it even much clearer St Paul said in the same letter to the Romans “While we were still sinners, Christ died for us… we are now justified by his Blood…saved through Him from the wrath (of God).”

In other words, there is no one in hell who can ever blame God for not having done enough to save him from eternal damnation. Let me end with this true-to-life story.

Bart was a young man full of life. He was born in 1841 to parents who were very devout Catholics. He lost his father when he was about 10 years old but after that he gained a stepfather when his mom remarried a lawyer. When he started taking up law in the University of Naples he also began joining public demonstrations against the Pope and the Catholic Church for the unification of Italy. He got involved in witchcraft and eventually got ordained as a Satanic priest.

But here is the twist. Bart soon got terribly sick. He lost a lot of weight and went into depression, almost at the point of ending his life. However God in his mercy did not abandon him. He sent people to call him back to the faith. And so one day when Bart met a Dominican friar and a religious sister he was introduced to the Marian devotion of praying the Rosary. And by the power of the Rosary he soon abandoned Satanism and returned to the Catholic Church.

On Oct 7, 1871, at 30 yrs old, Bart became a Dominican Tertiary and took the name Rosario. From then on he devoted his life as a lawyer helping the poor and taking care of the sick. He taught catechism to address the people’s ignorance in the faith. Above all he propagated the devotion to the Holy Rosary. He built a Marian shrine known today as the Shrine of the Virgin of the Rosary of Pompei.

At 44 years old he married a noble lady with whose support he continued his various works of charity. All his life he promoted the praying of the Rosary until his death at 85 years old in 1926. (Next year will be the first centenary of his death.)

Fast forward – in 1980 he was beatified by Pope John Paul II, and last Oct 19 he was canonized by Pope Leo XIV along with six others. His full name is St Bartolo Longo. Imagine the sharp turning point of this man – from being a Satanist to being a Saint.

We still have two months left to make pilgrimages to various Jubilee Churches. Added to this from November 1 to 8 we are also encouraged to visit any cemetery and pray for the dead. Either one of these devotional practices may obtain for us a plenary indulgence, just as long as we also make a good confession, receive Holy Communion and pray for the intentions of our Holy Father, Pope Leo XIV.

And may the Eucharistic sacrifice we offer today save the souls of our beloved dead and hasten their entrance into heaven. May it also empower us to give up sin and embrace a life of total dedication to Jesus. Through the prayers of Mary, our Blessed Mother, may we one day be united with God in the great company of all the Saints in our heavenly homeland. GiGsss!

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