SATURDAY November 1, 2025

Our God Is the Living God

...the Lord is the true God; He is the living God and the everlasting King.
Jeremiah 10:10

During this fall season, many families, especially those from Latin cultures, choose to celebrate the tradition of the Day of the Dead. Those who celebrate this tradition believe that on October 31st at midnight, the gates of heaven are opened so that the spirits of children can rejoin their families for a duration of 24 hours. On November 2nd, the spirits of adults do the same. This tradition is especially recognized in Mexico.

This tradition stems from a pagan belief that souls come back from the dead for a time of family reunion––drinks, food and festivity. The Day of the Dead can be traced as far back as 3,000 years ago to rituals honoring the dead in pre-Columbian Mesoamerica. In what is now called Central Mexico, the Aztecs and other cultures saw death as an important, ever-present part of life. When a person died, it was believed they went to the land of the dead. Once there, they had the challenge of a nine-level journey to their final resting place.

The Catholic Church embraced these pagan practices, having them coincide with All Saints’ Day, celebrated on November 1st, and All Souls’ Day, also known as All the Faithful Departed, on November 2nd. Yet God is not the God of the dead; He is the Living God, just as Jeremiah the prophet proclaimed. Jesus corrected any false assumptions about death, by saying: “But concerning the resurrection of the dead, have you not read what was spoken to you by God, saying, ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? God is not the God of the dead, but the living” (Matthew 22:31-32).

The saints of old who trusted in God are still alive! While on earth, you will be given an opportunity to accept or reject God’s salvation through His Son Jesus Christ (John 3:16). Once you die, that is it; you either inherit eternal life or receive the punishment of eternal death (Revelation 20:11-15). Listen, there is no coming back to earth, nor is there such a place as purgatory. Know the truth about life after death and make the right decision.

There is no salvation of soul, nor hope of eternal life, save in the Cross.
~Thomas a Kempis~

For more from Raul Ries, please visit SomebodyLovesYou.com!