All Souls Day (2 November) Gospel Commentary (John 6:37-40)

³⁷ All those the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away. ³⁸ For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me. ³⁹ And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all those he has given me, but raise them up at the last day. ⁴⁰ For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day.”

On 2 November we celebrate the commemoration of all the faithful departed, which is popularly know as All Souls Day, by praying for and remembering those we have lost. There are a number of traditions in different countries associated with this day. The most famous is probably the Day of the Dead in Mexico which takes place over both the 1st and 2nd. During this period people build altars in their homes to lost family members on which their favorite foods are placed. The feast is celebrated in the Disney film Coco.

The gospel for All Souls Day should reassure all of us, for in it Jesus talks about the certainty of salvation for those the Father has given him. Indeed, the passage begins with Jesus saying that he will protect all those that the Father sends him. Jesus willingly accepts everyone and will never cast anyone given him. This is very important because most of the people in the early Christian community would have been cast out from their society (either Jewish or pagan) because of their beliefs. In verse 38 Jesus explains that he has been sent down from heaven to do God’s will. Notice how he refuses to exalt himself. The Christ, the Word of God, is eternally humble and always ready to do the will of the One who sent him. How can we justify being less?

Significantly, this passage follows Jesus’ “I am the bread of life” discourse which was read earlier in year B. Because he is the gift from God that brings eternal nourishment, he also gives eternal life to all. And so All Souls Day should be a day of joy, for Jesus tells us that those we have lost are not truly lost. They live forever, and we hope to join them one day.