This week we will celebrated the Solemnity of All Saints (November 1) and the Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed, commonly called All Souls’ Day (November 2). Both celebrations concern our life in this world and its continuation beyond death. We honour those already with God and pray for those still being purified.
We all wonder what happens when we die. Do not worry, our faith offers hope. Jesus tells us that “I will come again and will take you to myself, so that where I am, there you may be also” (John 14:3). We are told in 1 Timothy 2:4 that “God desires everyone to be saved.” Through his death and resurrection, Jesus offers salvation, which means freedom from sin and death, healing, and restored friendship with God.
Facing the Lord
At death, each person faces a particular judgement where our life is brought before Christ (Catechism of the Catholic Church [CCC], 1022). This may sound frightening. We imagine God as a magistrate, with a heavenly court weighing our rights and wrongs. We hope our good balances out our bad. ⚖
However, salvation is God’s gift. God knows the whole truth of our lives, including our struggles. In Eucharistic Prayer 1 we ask God not to weigh our merits but to grant us pardon. His judgement is perfectly just and merciful. We can trust our God who calls us to love him and our neighbour.
Heaven, Purgatory and Hell
Heaven is complete communion with God, free from sin. There, we shall see God face to face. This is called the beatific vision (CCC 1023–1028). Our final hope includes the resurrection of the body and life in God’s renewed creation.
Those who die in God’s friendship but still need purification undergo purgatory. Everyone in purgatory is already assured of salvation (CCC 1030). It prepares us for heaven.
Does purgatory involve punishment? The Catechism speaks of temporal punishment. This is purification from unhealthy attachments remaining after sin is forgiven. This follows from sin itself rather than God taking revenge (CCC 1472). Think of forgiveness in a damaged relationship. Even though forgiveness is given, healing is still needed. For example, if you break a window, the owner can forgive you, but the damage still needs repairing. This saving purification differs from the punishment and separation of hell (CCC 1031).
Hell is definitive separation from God through freely rejecting his love and persisting in serious sin without repentance. Our treatment of others matters deeply. God has not decided in advance that certain people must go to hell (CCC 1033–1037).
Frequently Asked Questions
What about babies who die? Baptized infants who die before committing personal sin enter heaven. For babies who die without Baptism, the Church entrusts them to God’s mercy and gives us grounds to hope for their salvation (CCC 1261). God’s desire is for all to be saved.
What about pets? Animals receive life from God, but Catholic teaching distinguishes animal life from our immortal spiritual souls. We have no definitive teaching that individual pets go to heaven. However, we can trust God’s goodness towards all creation.
What about someone who murders? Murder is seriously wrong. Yet we cannot know someone’s final relationship with God. Repentance may occur at the last moment. We pray rather than presume to pronounce their eternal destiny. We are not judges and are not God.
What about someone who dies by suicide? The Catechism states: “We should not despair of the eternal salvation of persons who have taken their own lives” (CCC 2283). Severe psychological distress can diminish responsibility (CCC 2282). We are encouraged to pray for them.
Praying for Our Departed
Second Maccabees commends prayer for the dead (12:43–46). Paul’s prayer that Onesiphorus find mercy on the day of judgement is also commonly understood in this light (2 Timothy 1:18). At Mass, we pray for the departed. In the Hail Mary, we ask Mary to pray for us now and at the hour of our death. We are encouraged to pray for all those who have died and to entrust them to God’s mercy.
The Saints Next Door
In Gaudete et Exsultate (Rejoice and Be Glad), Pope Francis spoke of the saints “next door”. This refers to ordinary people living God’s love through daily faithfulness. He offered the Beatitudes (Matthew 5:3-12) as a guide to holiness. For example, being poor in spirit means trusting God rather than becoming addicted to wealth and material possessions. Each of us is called to holiness in daily life by allowing our faith to shape our choices and actions.
The “saints next door” are ordinary people who live holy lives, often without formal recognition. Canonization is the Church’s formal recognition of someone’s sainthood.
At funeral masses, we hear that “life is changed, not ended.” Our hope in eternal life should encourage us to love more deeply now. You might consider yourself the worst sinner, but you can change. Repentance means turning towards God and allowing him to change our thinking and living.
Can we be saints? With God’s grace and help, yes, we can. Jesus, we trust in You.
