All Saints / All Souls

On Friday, November 1, the Church celebrates the Solemnity of All Saints, a holy day of obligation, when the Church recalls and remembers those known saints proclaimed by the Church to be in the presence of the Beatific Vision—God—for all eternity. After a life on earth following Christ, even as imperfect disciples from the start, they now are transformed and conformed to Christ in the Kingdom of Heaven. In this celebration, we here on earth look to them and their company as examples to follow as well as intercessors to pray for us and encourage us along on our own journey to holiness.

On Saturday, November 2, the Church then celebrates the Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed (All Souls) when we recall all who have died, our family, friends and strangers, who we hope and pray are now resting in the peace of Christ until they are raised to unending glory. While we all love to use the turn of phrase that “so-and-so, who has died, is now in heaven”—we really must not forget the Church’s language that our beloved dead are “resting in the peace of Christ until they are raised to everlasting glory…” That it is Christ alone who is judge of heaven and earth—and that our role and responsibility—our obligation—is to remember their noble souls in our personal prayers and at Masses. Yes, that is why the Roman Catholic Church has a tradition to remember our deceased loved ones with Mass intentions. We use the public prayers of the Church, Mass, to remember them and seek their souls return to God in heaven—keeping in mind that the Church does believe in Purgatory, a place of purification of the immortal soul so that it may be welcomed into the Kingdom and stand before the beauty and power of God. Remembering the dead at Mass is not only a sacred obligation of the Catholic person but is a spiritual work of mercy.

On the weekend of November 2/3 we will offer special prayers for our beloved dead and the All
Souls envelopes with the names and intentions of the parishioners will be before the altar for the whole month of November and will be prayed for at each Mass as well as in my daily breviary each day in November. I will mention particular names, taken from the envelopes, each day in prayer. May They Rest in Peace! It is a beautiful tradition that we all need to pass on to our families in hopes that after we are gone, Catholics behind us will pray for us!