As we reflect on the readings for the Saturday after the 23rd Sunday after Pentecost, commemorating the souls in purgatory, we are drawn deeply into St. Paul’s words in 1 Corinthians 15 and Christ’s proclamation in John 5. Both readings invite us to meditate on the mystery of death and resurrection, encouraging us to see beyond the grave, to the victory won by Christ and the promise of eternal life for all who believe.
“O Death, Where is Thy Victory?”
St. Paul’s message in 1 Corinthians 15:51-57 is a triumphant proclamation of the end of death’s reign. He opens with a mystery that is both humbling and awe-inspiring: “We shall all indeed rise again: but we shall not all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye” (1 Cor. 15:51-52). Here, Paul reveals that the resurrection will be universal—death will not have the final word over any human soul, as all will be raised. However, in this moment of transformation, those who are still alive at Christ’s second coming will be changed to share in the incorruptible glory of the resurrected body.
St. Augustine, reflecting on this passage, speaks of how this “mystery” is a testament to the immeasurable love and mercy of God, who desires not only to raise us but to transform us. “Christ,” he writes, “by assuming a mortal body, conquered death in His own flesh; and now that He is glorified, He extends this victory over death to all who believe in Him” (City of God, Bk. 13, Ch. 23). Through Christ, death has been defeated not merely as an event but as a power. It no longer holds terror for the faithful, for its “sting” has been removed by the redeeming blood of our Savior.
The Dead Will Hear the Voice of the Son of God
In John 5:25-29, Jesus speaks to the ultimate hope of the Christian: the resurrection unto life. He proclaims, “Amen, amen, I say to you, that the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live” (John 5:25). Here Christ reveals that even now, through His voice—His teachings, His commands, His call to repentance—the dead are being summoned to life. But this life, this call, transcends the earthly realm. It calls both the living and the dead to a new existence in communion with Him.
St. John Chrysostom notes that Christ’s words here reflect His divine authority: just as He healed bodies in His earthly ministry, so too He grants new life to souls. “To hear His voice is to receive life,” Chrysostom writes. “To live is to see Him, and to see Him is to be transformed” (Homilies on the Gospel of John, 39). This is why Jesus can speak of both the present and future resurrections. The “hour is coming, and now is”—the life of grace begins even now, for He, the very Word of God, speaks it into being.
The Commemoration of All Souls and the Power of Hope
On this day of reflection for the souls in purgatory, these passages carry profound significance. The souls of the faithful departed are united with us in hope of resurrection, in hope of the “imperishable” body and the eternal life that Christ has promised. In commemorating the dead, we are not merely honoring those who have passed; we are embracing our belief in the resurrection and our responsibility to pray for those who are undergoing purification.
St. Gregory the Great reminds us of the Church’s ancient tradition of praying for the souls in purgatory: “If we truly love them, let us show this in our prayers and alms. Let us offer the Holy Sacrifice on their behalf” (Dialogues, Bk. 4, Ch. 39). Our prayers for the dead, our intercession through the Mass, reflect the communion of saints and our trust that Christ’s mercy extends to all. We believe that in this “mystery,” as Paul describes it, the faithful departed who are still undergoing purification are drawn closer to their eternal reward.
Living as Children of the Resurrection
The readings today remind us that as Christians, we are called to live in a way that anticipates the resurrection. To live in the knowledge that death has no ultimate hold over us changes our entire outlook. For, as St. Paul proclaims, “Thanks be to God, who hath given us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Cor. 15:57). St. Ambrose, in his commentary on this passage, encourages the faithful to live not as though they fear death but as though they embrace life eternal. “For in Christ,” Ambrose writes, “all shall rise, and all shall receive incorruptibility” (On the Belief in the Resurrection, 2.70).
As we honor the souls of the departed, let us deepen our commitment to holiness, to be worthy of the imperishable life awaiting us. Let us pray for the grace to follow the Lord closely in this life, so that we may “hear His voice” now and respond with faith, moving toward that final resurrection with joy and with a heart made steadfast by hope.
In our prayers for the dead, in our meditations on these readings, we participate in the triumph of Christ over death. We affirm our belief that life does not end with the grave, and that those who have gone before us are not lost but await their own transformation into glory. May this be our hope, our prayer, and our joy as we move forward, united with all the faithful departed in the sure and certain hope of resurrection in Christ.