Father&#039;s Reflection 10.29.23

by Father Joel Haug

Some helpful things to remember about November as Catholics

During the month of November, the Church invites us to remember those who have gone before us and our final end:

1. November 1st, All Saints Day and a Holy Day of Obligation, we remember our brothers and sisters in Christ who have gone before us and are already enjoying full union with the Trinity in Heaven…we call them “Saints” because they are completely immersed and receptive to the love and holiness of God.

2. November 2nd we celebrate “All Souls Day,” and we are invited to pray for those who have already died but are not yet completely purified of the consequences of their sin. We would say these the souls are in “Purgatory.” There is joy for these souls because they know they will eventually be purified completely and be in perfect union with Jesus, but they experience the pain of that process until it is fully realized.

Because the bonds of love we share in Jesus are stronger than death, we believe that we have the ability to expedite their purification, and all these souls in purgatory and heaven can and do intercede for us that we can “finish the race” of this life well.

3. The rest of November, we are encouraged to continue praying for the dead, offering our prayers, sacrifices, and Masses for them and even visiting cemeteries as a reminder of our own mortality and our need to pray for those souls.

4. As November ends and we transition into Advent, the Sunday readings point us toward the “four last things”: death, judgement, heaven, and hell.
These are sobering topics but important for us to reflect on regularly: am I living today in such a way that I am ready to meet Jesus, my Judge and Savior, face to face?
His mercy is radically available to us right now through repentance and in confession; am I receiving the grace of His forgiveness and mercy while I still can?

See you at Mass this Tuesday evening or Wednesday as we celebrate All Saints Day!

Fr. Joel