We Dey Remember All Souls

Saturday, November 2, 2024

Remembrance of All di Faithful Wey Don Die (All Souls Day)

Luca Giordano, e dey public domain, through Wikimedia Commons

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“Na this be wetin my Papa want: make everybody wey see di Son and believe in am get life wey no go ever end, and I go raise am up on di last day.” John 6:40

Di Solemnity of All Saints wey we celebrate yesterday give us chance to celebrate and rejoice say people wey don go before us, wey nobody fit count, dey enjoy di glory of Heaven now. God grace na di foundation of di life wey these faithful souls live, and dem don become completely pure, free from every sin. Now dem dey look our good God face-to-face.

Today, we dey remember say many people wey die for state of grace no ready immediately to stand before God glorious throne and see Am face-to-face. Di only way this one fit happen na if every sin and every way wey we still hold on to sin don clear comot from our souls. Na only pure love for God and our neighbour must dey alive inside us if we go enter di eternal glory of Heaven. But how many people dey die for this kind state?

Di Church, with her wisdom and holiness, don teach clearly throughout di centuries say when person leave this world go di next one, but e still dey hold on to sin wey no too serious, e need to become completely pure before e fit enter Heaven. Na this be Purgatory. Di Catechism of di Catholic Church talk say: “All those wey die inside God’s grace and friendship, but wey never become completely pure, get sure hope of their eternal salvation; but after death, dem dey pass through cleansing, so that dem go reach di holiness wey dem need to enter di joy of heaven. Di Church dey call this last cleansing of those wey God don choose Purgatory, and e different completely from di punishment of those wey don receive eternal condemnation” (#1030–31a).

For some people, to think about Purgatory fit make dem fear and even confuse dem. Why God, with His mercy wey no get end, no just carry all our loved ones wey follow Am go straight to Heaven? Di answer simple. Na wetin E dey do! And di road wey dey carry dem go Heaven na this wonderful mercy of their last cleansing.

For God to cleanse our soul from every way wey we still hold on to sin na mercy wey pass wetin we fit imagine. Through this last cleansing, God dey prepare di holy souls wey don die for joy wey go last forever. But this cleansing dey necessary because God, for His love, no want any soul to live forever while e still dey hold on to sin, even small. God want make all of us dey free. Di truth be say every sin wey dey our soul, even di smallest one, na enough reason to keep us out of Heaven. So we must see Purgatory as one last mercy from God, wey E dey use remove every last load wey dey stop us from loving perfectly, so that our life for eternity go full with di greatest freedom and joy. God want make na only pure love fill us forever. So, when we die, E dey give us di grace to enter one last deep cleansing from every small sin, so that when we see God for all His glory, we go see Am with di perfection wey E call us to. Purgatory na gift, na grace, na mercy. To pass through am go pain, just as to overcome any sin dey pain. But di good fruit of freedom from sin make every last cleansing wey we must endure worth am a hundred times and more.

Today, think deeply about this spiritual truth: God want make you be saint. If you dey among those few people wey die when dem don become pure and free from every sin, then know for sure say you don already finish your purgatory for earth. But if you or your loved ones dey among di many people wey still dey hold on to sin small when death come, then rejoice say God never finish His work for you. With plenty gratitude, look forward to di last cleansing wey dey wait for you, and look forward to di freedom wey that cleansing go finally bring.

My merciful Lord, You want make my soul and di souls of all Your faithful become pure and free from every sin, even di smallest fault. I thank You for di mercy of Purgatory, and I pray make I continue to work towards that cleansing here and now. I pray too for all those wey don go before me and wey still need these fires wey dey make souls pure. Pour Your mercy on dem so that dem fit dey among di saints for Heaven. Jesus, na You I trust.