2026 All Souls Novena

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Each year, when our Church commemorates the faithful departed, we observe a celebration filled with both melancholy and hope. It is a reminder that we—the Pilgrim Church on earth—remain united with the Church Suffering. We join together in a great prayer, united by the hope of the Resurrection. It is a celebration rich in history that calls to mind those who have gone before us, yet it is also one of joyful hope, for we remember God’s love for all His children who died in the hope of the resurrection and the promise that we shall all be united in sharing the heavenly banquet.

Reflecting on our memories and our devotion we find strength and a deep longing, just as we read in the Letter to the Romans:

Our Lady of Sorrows (Dolorosa)

Ecuadorian School, 18th Century

“For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God . . . When we cry, ‘Abba! Father!’ it is the Spirit himself bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with hm.

I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God; . . . because the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and obtain the glorious liberty of the children of God. We know that the whole creation has been groaning in travail together until now; and not only the creation, but we ourselves. . .”

(Romans 8:14–23)

This biblical passage is a powerful reminder that God’s word continues to speak to us in our daily lives—and, in a special way, at certain times, such as when we gather in holy places like a church, or during moments of sorrow, like when we lose a loved one.

In times of mourning it feels as though a part of us has died; such is the depth of the grief we endure. We can affirm that in such moments grief unites us—family, friends, and even mere acquaintances—as if we were members of a single human family, standing in solidarity with one another as we face that common, inevitable destiny: death. Grief renders us humble, powerless, and compassionate.

Yet, even as we share grief, I invite you, friends—trusting in God’s word—to feel united by a shared hope. Not just any hope—not one that is illusory, evasive, or grotesque—but a hope founded upon God’s merciful love and upon the Word we have just read in the Letter to the Romans.

As Christians, we know that we suffer and die just like all other human beings; yet we are capable of suffering and dying in a different way—not merely with dignity, but with hope. For if we die with Christ, He raises us up with Him:

“But if we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him. For we know that Christ being raised from the dead will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him.”

(Romans 6:8-9)

Christ Jesus sets humanity free by binding us to Himself with the bonds of love. The human heart is filled with trembling and uncertainty until it fixes its gaze upon the Beloved—until it returns to God, the true rest for the soul. When the spirit of the deceased is united to God through faith and love, it ascends to the highest realms; yet when those bonds are detached, its powers diminish, and it finds itself in misery. By embracing our bonds, the Son of God sets free the one who has united with Him through Faith, Hope, and Love, and that person becomes truly free.

As I conclude this letter, I recall the moment when Jesus hung upon the Cross. Turning to His Mother, Jesus invites her to walk in faith:

"When Jesus saw his mother, and the disciple whom he loved standing near, he said to his mother, ‘Woman, behold, your son!’ Then he said to the disciple, ‘Behold, your mother!’”

(John 19:26-27)

These words, spoken at this most difficult moment, mean that Mary—Mother of Jesus and our mother—accompanies us in difficult times. Because she welcomed His Love into her heart, Mary became the greatest presence of God’s Love in the desert of humanity’s love. Our Most Holy Mother loves with God’s own love! For this reason, let us pray, asking her to be with us.

Today, as we continue to deepen our devotion and hope in the glorious Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ, let us pray in union with our Most Holy Mother—Our Lady of Sorrows—with the Carmelite family, and with one another, that God’s merciful love may lead the faithful departed, and us as well one day, into the unity of the Triune God.

Very. Rev. Luis Joaquin Castañeda, OCD

Provincial