What a joy it was to look out early this morning and see the gorgeous pre-dawn sky in its vast array of colors! Getting an extra hour of rest with the time change was an added benefit.
This view made me think of the great gift of salvation. I wonder what it was like when Jesus rose from the dead. What does it look like now when a deceased person enters the glory of heaven? I am certain that the beauty we see here on earth is only a glimpse of the grandeur of heaven.
In the Catholic tradition we set aside November 2 as All Souls Day. There is a lengthy history and tradition of people praying for the dead. Several hundred years before the coming of Christ we see an example in the second book of Maccabees chapter 12, verses 41-45 where Judas prays for the deceased in atonement for their sins. In the second century we see references to praying for the dead in The Acts of Paul and Thecla. We also see it in the second century in the Martyrdom of Perpetua and Felicity. In the fourth century Monica asked her son Augustine (who was a priest) to remember her soul in his Masses and prayers after she died.
The essence of praying for the dead on November 2, can be traced as far back as the date 998 A.D. St. Odilo of Cluny established this tradition in the Cluniac monasteries. It eventually spread to Rome, and indeed we continue to honor this practice even today. Obviously, there is a lot of disagreement over this pious practice. However an in-depth study of the history of the church, as well as studying the theological understanding of redemption in the light of faith, can certainly provide food for thought and meditation.
This view made me think of the great gift of salvation. I wonder what it was like when Jesus rose from the dead. What does it look like now when a deceased person enters the glory of heaven? I am certain that the beauty we see here on earth is only a glimpse of the grandeur of heaven.
In the Catholic tradition we set aside November 2 as All Souls Day. There is a lengthy history and tradition of people praying for the dead. Several hundred years before the coming of Christ we see an example in the second book of Maccabees chapter 12, verses 41-45 where Judas prays for the deceased in atonement for their sins. In the second century we see references to praying for the dead in The Acts of Paul and Thecla. We also see it in the second century in the Martyrdom of Perpetua and Felicity. In the fourth century Monica asked her son Augustine (who was a priest) to remember her soul in his Masses and prayers after she died.
The essence of praying for the dead on November 2, can be traced as far back as the date 998 A.D. St. Odilo of Cluny established this tradition in the Cluniac monasteries. It eventually spread to Rome, and indeed we continue to honor this practice even today. Obviously, there is a lot of disagreement over this pious practice. However an in-depth study of the history of the church, as well as studying the theological understanding of redemption in the light of faith, can certainly provide food for thought and meditation.
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