Sermon for All Souls 2014: No Angel!
Rev. Fr. Jason Vidrine
All Souls, 2014
No Angel!
The Lord gathers us into His holy presence as we celebrate today the Commemoration of the All the Faithful Departed…All Souls day. It’s interesting because the feast of All Souls doesn’t usually fall on a Sunday. But this year it does.
We’ve already reached the month of November! The final weeks of the Church’s Liturgical Year stretch throughout November…and during this month, the Church also remembers in a special way the faithful departed. And so, the Church - as she herself does - exhorts all the faithful during these last days of the year to make a deliberate and personal consideration of the last things: death, judgment, Heaven, and Hell.
As we gather on this feast of All Souls, we pray for our of our beloved deceased…and all the faithful departed…and we pray for those who continue to mourn the loss of their loved ones.
Today I want to consider the truths about the mystery of death in the mystery of Christ’s light. How supremely important it is to have the correct ideas about the mysteries of God and death. If we want to die a blessed death - which hopefully we pray for every day (and in particular, to St. Joseph, the patron of a happy death) - we need to have the right ideas about it. In particular, we have to consciously reject the erroneous and harmful ideas that are so prevalent in our time.
Three of these ideas, which I want to consider today, are encapsulated in a phrase we encounter all the time when our loved ones pass away: “God (or Heaven) just needed another angel.” This phrase mostly surrounds the struggle to deal with the death of a young person, but also surfaces more and more frequently at the death of loved ones in general.
To be clear, I understand that this phrase articulates one way folks grapple with the difficult tragedy of death in this life and is expressed sincerely. So, I recognize that what I say may offend the sensibilities of some who continue to morn. Nevertheless, this matter is essential and must be honestly considered, and All Souls day provides a great opportunity to do so.
The phrase “God (or Heaven) just needed another angel.” contains three erroneous ideas that must be corrected.
First, it implies that God is the cause of death. This is erroneous. Inasmuch as death happens, and nothing happens without God allowing it to happen, it is correct to say that death is in His will. However, to use the distinction St. Thomas Aquinas gives us, death happens as a consequence of God’s permissive will. He allows it as a consequence of sin. He does not directly will death in the sense of being the cause of it. The Church’s teaching is that death is a consequence of sin (CCC 400;1008) and is clearly based on the Sacred Scriptures. For example: “God did not make death, nor does He rejoice in the destruction of the living” (Wis 1:13; see also Gen 3:19; Rom 5:12). As long as we live in this fallen world, we will experience the consequences of its fall, and this includes most powerfully, death. The good news of the Gospel is that Our Lord Jesus redeems us from sin and death - and through His passion, death, and resurrection - opens the way for us to rise with Him (Rom 6:8). Christ has conquered death (1 Cor 15:54) and because of Him, we can sing: “Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?” (1 Cor 15:55). This truth is the reason for our hope in theface of death…not the shallow, erroneous idea perpetuated by this phrase. God is not the cause of death.
Secondly, this phrase implies that we humans become angels in Heaven. This is erroneous. Get this clear: we never were, are not, and never will be angels! Angels are a different part of God’s creation altogether (CCC 330). We, as humans, are created in God’s image in His visible creation. We live in this world and have bodies. Angels are part of God’s invisible creation. They are purely spiritual creatures, live in Heaven, and do not have bodies. Every human person, redeemed by the blood of Christ, who will be admitted to Heaven will share the life of the Saints there. As the various books of Sacred Scripture - especially Revelation - attest, angels are also present there. But while humans may become holy (Saints), they will never become angels. The human person is a human person and an angel is angel. Perhaps you've heard the phrase said of someone: "He's no angel!" And that's literally true! The human person has neverbeen, is not, and never will be an angel.
Thirdly, this phrase implies that all the deceased are immediately brought to the glory of Heaven.This is erroneous. A doctrine of the Church that was hotly contested by the reformers, the teaching is clear: those perfectly purified and made ready at the time of death, will enter God’s Holy presence in Heaven. But those in need of the holiness necessary to enter the joy of Heaven will undergo the cleansing purification of Purgatory (CCC1030-1032). The Sacred Scriptures clearly teach that nothing unclean or unholy will enter God’s presence in Heaven (Heb 12:14;Rev 21:27). The erroneous idea ofthis phrase denies and empties the power of prayer for the departed - which is like the DNA of the funeral rites of the Church (CCC 1032). It also contradicts the Church’s constant belief and practice that we must pray for the departed. This very month of November is dedicated to this spiritual work of mercy and noble act of charity.
Yes, we’ll hear the phrase “God (or Heaven) just needed another angel.” when our loved ones pass away…and we’ll hear it more often as more people no longer know the truths of the faith. But let us try to make sure that these words never come from our mouths…or these erroneous ideas be found in our minds or hearts. Our Lord Jesus says that the truth sets us free (Jn 8:32)…and the truth about death, God and angels, will go a long way in helping us to deal withthese mysteries that are so difficult for us to understand and deal with! As today’s first reading tells us: “Those who trust in Him shall understand truth”…and it will help us to hold strongly to the hope which the reading also tells us, that: “the faithful shall abide with Him in love because grace and mercy are with His holy ones and His care is with His elect” (Wisdom 3:9). That’s our prayer for our deceased loved ones today! Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. May their souls and the souls of all the faithful departed rest in peace. (http://youtu.be/sjWjnhfEto8) Amen.
All Souls, 2014
No Angel!
The Lord gathers us into His holy presence as we celebrate today the Commemoration of the All the Faithful Departed…All Souls day. It’s interesting because the feast of All Souls doesn’t usually fall on a Sunday. But this year it does.
We’ve already reached the month of November! The final weeks of the Church’s Liturgical Year stretch throughout November…and during this month, the Church also remembers in a special way the faithful departed. And so, the Church - as she herself does - exhorts all the faithful during these last days of the year to make a deliberate and personal consideration of the last things: death, judgment, Heaven, and Hell.
As we gather on this feast of All Souls, we pray for our of our beloved deceased…and all the faithful departed…and we pray for those who continue to mourn the loss of their loved ones.
Today I want to consider the truths about the mystery of death in the mystery of Christ’s light. How supremely important it is to have the correct ideas about the mysteries of God and death. If we want to die a blessed death - which hopefully we pray for every day (and in particular, to St. Joseph, the patron of a happy death) - we need to have the right ideas about it. In particular, we have to consciously reject the erroneous and harmful ideas that are so prevalent in our time.
Three of these ideas, which I want to consider today, are encapsulated in a phrase we encounter all the time when our loved ones pass away: “God (or Heaven) just needed another angel.” This phrase mostly surrounds the struggle to deal with the death of a young person, but also surfaces more and more frequently at the death of loved ones in general.
To be clear, I understand that this phrase articulates one way folks grapple with the difficult tragedy of death in this life and is expressed sincerely. So, I recognize that what I say may offend the sensibilities of some who continue to morn. Nevertheless, this matter is essential and must be honestly considered, and All Souls day provides a great opportunity to do so.
The phrase “God (or Heaven) just needed another angel.” contains three erroneous ideas that must be corrected.
First, it implies that God is the cause of death. This is erroneous. Inasmuch as death happens, and nothing happens without God allowing it to happen, it is correct to say that death is in His will. However, to use the distinction St. Thomas Aquinas gives us, death happens as a consequence of God’s permissive will. He allows it as a consequence of sin. He does not directly will death in the sense of being the cause of it. The Church’s teaching is that death is a consequence of sin (CCC 400;1008) and is clearly based on the Sacred Scriptures. For example: “God did not make death, nor does He rejoice in the destruction of the living” (Wis 1:13; see also Gen 3:19; Rom 5:12). As long as we live in this fallen world, we will experience the consequences of its fall, and this includes most powerfully, death. The good news of the Gospel is that Our Lord Jesus redeems us from sin and death - and through His passion, death, and resurrection - opens the way for us to rise with Him (Rom 6:8). Christ has conquered death (1 Cor 15:54) and because of Him, we can sing: “Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?” (1 Cor 15:55). This truth is the reason for our hope in theface of death…not the shallow, erroneous idea perpetuated by this phrase. God is not the cause of death.
Secondly, this phrase implies that we humans become angels in Heaven. This is erroneous. Get this clear: we never were, are not, and never will be angels! Angels are a different part of God’s creation altogether (CCC 330). We, as humans, are created in God’s image in His visible creation. We live in this world and have bodies. Angels are part of God’s invisible creation. They are purely spiritual creatures, live in Heaven, and do not have bodies. Every human person, redeemed by the blood of Christ, who will be admitted to Heaven will share the life of the Saints there. As the various books of Sacred Scripture - especially Revelation - attest, angels are also present there. But while humans may become holy (Saints), they will never become angels. The human person is a human person and an angel is angel. Perhaps you've heard the phrase said of someone: "He's no angel!" And that's literally true! The human person has neverbeen, is not, and never will be an angel.
Thirdly, this phrase implies that all the deceased are immediately brought to the glory of Heaven.This is erroneous. A doctrine of the Church that was hotly contested by the reformers, the teaching is clear: those perfectly purified and made ready at the time of death, will enter God’s Holy presence in Heaven. But those in need of the holiness necessary to enter the joy of Heaven will undergo the cleansing purification of Purgatory (CCC1030-1032). The Sacred Scriptures clearly teach that nothing unclean or unholy will enter God’s presence in Heaven (Heb 12:14;Rev 21:27). The erroneous idea ofthis phrase denies and empties the power of prayer for the departed - which is like the DNA of the funeral rites of the Church (CCC 1032). It also contradicts the Church’s constant belief and practice that we must pray for the departed. This very month of November is dedicated to this spiritual work of mercy and noble act of charity.
Yes, we’ll hear the phrase “God (or Heaven) just needed another angel.” when our loved ones pass away…and we’ll hear it more often as more people no longer know the truths of the faith. But let us try to make sure that these words never come from our mouths…or these erroneous ideas be found in our minds or hearts. Our Lord Jesus says that the truth sets us free (Jn 8:32)…and the truth about death, God and angels, will go a long way in helping us to deal withthese mysteries that are so difficult for us to understand and deal with! As today’s first reading tells us: “Those who trust in Him shall understand truth”…and it will help us to hold strongly to the hope which the reading also tells us, that: “the faithful shall abide with Him in love because grace and mercy are with His holy ones and His care is with His elect” (Wisdom 3:9). That’s our prayer for our deceased loved ones today! Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. May their souls and the souls of all the faithful departed rest in peace. (http://youtu.be/sjWjnhfEto8) Amen.
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