Dear Parishioners of Saint Polycarp,
Each year, at the beginning of November, the Church celebrates two beautiful liturgies: (1) the Solemnity of All Saints on November 01, and (2) the Feast of All Souls on November 02.
On the Solemnity of All Saints, Mother Church invites us to honor those who had lived an exemplary life on earth and are now receiving the heavenly crown. The Saints invite us to join them in praising God’s victory and love, and they offer us an example of their fidelity in living out and in following the teachings of Jesus.
On the Feast of All Souls, Mother Church invites us to be in communion through prayers and the offering of the Holy Mass for all the departed brothers and sisters, who are awaiting to receive the eternal reward in God through His love and mercy. These souls are not isolated from us, but they are a part of who we are—a people who yearn for God or for Heaven.
The celebrations of All Saints and All Souls are for our personal sanctification; they point to the finality of our earthly life and are a sign of communion of the Church on earth and in heaven. They show us that God must be the destiny and the finality of our earthly existence. That is why, the scriptural Readings of this Thirtieth Weekend direct our focus on choosing God and living out God’s greatest commandments.
In the First Reading from the Book of Deuteronomy, Moses enjoined on the Chosen People to only love the Lord with all their hearts and minds. Basically, he instructed them not to worship any other gods, but the true God who delivered them from slavery and brought them to the Promise Land. In the Gospel of Mark, Jesus replied to one of the scribes, when he asked Jesus what is the first of all commandments, that the first commandment is “The Lord our God is Lord alone! You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your souls, with all your mind, and with all your strength”. The second is “Love your neighbor as yourself”.
The response of Jesus conveys the true dimension of the Cross: love of God and love of neighbors. On the Cross, with eyes gazing toward heaven, Jesus offered Himself to His Father; and with arms outstretched He embraced us, as a sign of His immense love for us. Similarly, just as the Solemnity of All Saints points us to God and the Feast of All Souls inviting us to lovingly pray for our neighbors, we as pilgrims must keep our eyes toward God and arms extended to embrace others. Therefore, I invite you to strive to live a holy or saintly life, and to continue to pray and support others.
Together with my brother priests, I keep you always in my heart at daily Mass and prayers. May Our Blessed Mother, Saint Joseph, and the patron Saint Polycarp intercede for you always.
Father Viet Peter Ho
Pastor