A Big Weekend
This weekend, our Parish gathers not only for joyful community events—the Bake Sale (featuring a Filipino stall!) and the Concert at the Cathedral on Sunday afternoon—but also for two profound liturgical commemorations – All Saints’ Day on Saturday and All Souls’ Day on Sunday.
On All Souls’ Day, we remember all the faithful departed who have died over the past years. It’s a day of prayer, reflection, and hope—asking God to grant them eternal rest.
Praying for the dead holds deep spiritual and emotional significance for many religions and cultures. As Catholics, we offer up our prayers to accompany our loved ones on their journey to eternal peace. Our prayers are important and connect us with those who came before us.
Our God is a merciful and loving God and often we can take it for granted that our place in heaven is assured particularly when we attend Mass, engage in charitable works, and seek forgiveness through the Sacrament of Reconciliation when we go off track.
In last Wednesday’s Gospel, someone asks Jesus, “Lord, will only a few be saved?” His response is striking: “Try your best to enter through the narrow door, because I tell you, many will try to enter and will not succeed.”
We are challenged to reflect on our own spiritual journey. It’s easy to assume that regular Mass attendance, charitable acts, and participation in the Sacraments guarantee our place in heaven. Yet Jesus reminds us that the path to eternal life is narrow — not because God’s mercy is limited, but because it requires humility, repentance, and perseverance.
Over the past year, our community has bid farewell to beloved family members, friends, fellow parishioners — and even a Pope. For many, the grief remains fresh, and the absence of those we loved is deeply felt.
One of the greatest acts of love we can offer is prayer. To pray for the souls of the departed is to entrust them to God’s mercy. It also calls us to deepen our own commitment to follow God — through prayer and service to others — we honour those who have passed, and we prepare the way for future generations to lift us up in prayer with confidence and hope.
Let us continue to pray fervently for the souls of the departed.
Clint Ramoo – Finance committee Chair
