The Church across the world observes November 2nd as “All Souls Day.” The day is observed to commemorate our forefathers who have gone ahead of us to the eternal abode. Also, the day gives an occasion to the departed souls of all families, contemplating the state of our own death.
This is the second year of “All Souls Day” with Covid. The feast of All Souls’ Day, when the Church remembers and prays for the dead, has weighted significance when so many have died of COVID-19 through 2020-21 and the pandemic’s restrictions have prevented usual funeral services and final goodbyes in person. So, let us dedicate this year’s All Souls Day for paying our Tributes to those who have died of Covid.
The terminology “soul” and ‘death” are interconnected. If death does not exist, there is no significance in soul. In Oxford Dictionary “soul” implies as spiritual part of a person believed to exist after death. The Holy QURAN promises: “Oh, Soul, serene, return to your Lord well pleased, and pleasing him. And join my devotees and enter my paradise” (Sura 89:27-30). In Biblical philosophy the “soul” is the spiritual principle that inhabits or informs the body. According to the HINDU Philosophy, “death” is a vehicle for taking another birth. Lord Krishna has said in Gita that “death” is like discarding an old garment and putting on new one. As per BIBLE, the moral transgression and sinful behavior smother the divine live in man and this destruction is called “death”.
Whatever be the biblical, philosophical or other interpretations a close look at our personal life strongly suggests that man will, in fact, die actively, taking his life into his own hands. The body is perishable obviously, but the soul is immortal and the face of the Lord in all the majesty and glory will live forever. No one can predict his own death or others. The predictions of human go wrong, and he becomes folly in the eyes of the world.
The death approaches’ everyone without any distinction. All have to answer the call of death. That is why we are called mortals. In a way death can be called a great leveler, as one that levels all distinctions. There is no way by which we can prevent or postpone it, once it is on us.
It is established truth that God has kept certain matters beyond human comprehension. There are only two certainties in this world for mankind. First that everyone has to die and second that everyone has to leave this world empty-handed. The only thing that we cannot assume that when will we die, and what will be our state of life after death. And reality remains that on death when man leaves behind his name and fame, whatever good deeds have been done by, will only be talked about. The naked we come, the naked we return.
Alexander, the great kind, who had conquered many kingdoms, commanded at the time of his death, that both of his hands should be exhibited outside his coffin box before lowering it is earth so that people could see that he took nothing with him. All riches and fame that we amass in this world would be left here itself when we die. So if we remember that death makes all of us equal sometime or other, we will treat our fellow beings as equals and be kind and loving towards them.
The message of All Souls day is to realise that, God his unending love and mercy for us, turns the darkness of death into the dawn of new live. The sadness of death gives away to the bring promise of immorality. The observation of All Souls Day makes an opportunity to keep a man’s right conscience which deserves divine voice and give us the accurate assessment of the true and false, right and wrong, and warns a man whether he is doing right thing or not.
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