Sunday Readings for Sunday, November 2, The Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed (All Souls)
By Lyn Zahorik | For On Mission
This weekend, your clocks will fall back an hour — but when you show up for Mass, you might wonder if we’ve leapt forward a whole season. If your priest is wearing purple, don’t panic, it’s not a rogue Advent preview or a liturgical fashion faux pas. Purple (along with white or black) is one of the traditional colors for All Souls’ Day, a time when we honor and pray for the faithful departed.
This year, All Souls’ Day falls on a Sunday — November 2 — and takes precedence over the usual Sunday Mass, inviting the entire Church to pause and pray for the faithful departed. It’s a rare and beautiful shift in our liturgical rhythm, reminding us that remembrance is not a detour from worship.
Praying for the dead is not a modern invention — it’s a thread woven through centuries of Christian faith, affirming that love and mercy extend beyond the grave. St. Cyril of Jerusalem (4th century) wrote: “We commemorate all who have fallen asleep before us.”
The remembrance of All Souls’ Day began in the 10th century, when the Benedictine Monks at Cluny, France, dedicated this day to remembering all departed souls, especially those in purgatory. The custom spread throughout Europe and was officially adopted by the Church as a reminder that we can still help those who have gone before us. Through prayer, Mass, and acts of charity, we offer comfort and grace to souls in purgatory, trusting that God’s mercy is always at work, affirming the power of prayer to aid those on their journey to eternal life.
Through the Communion of Saints, the dead are never far from us. They live in the stories we tell, the prayers we whisper, the love we still carry. All Souls’ Day is our chance to say: I remember you. I pray for you. And I believe we will meet again.
The Catholic Church encourages us to pray for the dead, not only during November’s All Souls’ observances, but throughout the year, because in that prayer we affirm a profound truth of our faith: that love is stronger than death and the living and the dead remain united in Christ. Families may request Masses to be offered for the repose of a loved one’s soul. This tradition affirms our belief in communal prayer and the sacrificial nature of the Eucharist.
Our Catholic Church has other strong traditions for remembering and praying for the dead, such as recording a name in the Parish Book of the Dead or being mentioned during the Universal Prayer. A candle might burn in memory of the deceased, or a memorial area is bedecked in marigolds, a Hispanic tradition for Día de los Muertos (the Day of the Dead).
During these days of November, let us gather — whether in church, at the cemetery, or in the quiet of our homes — and offer our prayers as candles shining through the dark. Let us name our beloved dead with tenderness. And let us trust that in God’s time, all souls will be gathered into light.
The readings for Sunday, November 2, can be found at The Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed (All Souls | USCCB.