SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2020 - All Saints Day MONDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2020 - All Souls Day
November1,2020
Dear Parishioners and Friends,
The Catholic Church has three divisions in its spiritual army: the Church Triumphant in Heaven, the Church Suffering in Purgatory, and The Church Militant on earth. We think of all three in a special way during November.
On Saturday, October 31 and Sunday, November 1s, the Church celebrates the saints in heaven, those men and women, even boys and girls, who now see God face to face in the Beatific vision. They have triumphed over sin and death and now are at peace eternally, thus they are called the Church Triumphant. Where they are, we hope to be. Daily we should examine ourselves in the light of eternity. We must remember that the final decision belongs to God, thus we must do our very best to live a holy life, keeping the commandments, receiving the sacraments, being prayerful, doing works of charity. In the end, we throw ourselves on God in His great mercy and love. In our secular, relativistic, age when even many Christians have been seduced by the world, we remain steadfast in Jesus Christ, the Way, the Truth, and the Life. Let us accept no false gospels or false teachers as we embrace the tried and true way of the Saints. This year our Masses for All Saints Day are on Saturday, October 31 at 5pm and on Sunday, November 1 at 930am and 4pm (Latin).
November is also the month of the Church suffering. We pray for the poor souls, the souls in purgatory. The Doctrine on the existence of Purgatory is a solemnly defined teaching of the Church and cannot be changed. This teaching reflects the great mercy of God, who gives us another chance to get to heaven even in the next world. Purgatory comes from the Latin word, which signifies a cleansing. In Purgatory, we are cleansed, purified, from venial sins committed in this world that were not forgiven. Purgatory is also needed to make up the temporal punishment that remains after venial and mortal sins have been forgiven. To enter heaven a soul must be perfect. Only a perfect soul can come into the presence of God. God is good in that he is willing to permit the process of perfection after we die, rather than forbid us to be with Him because of our imperfections.
The Church grants indulgences to help us avoid purgatory and to assist the souls in purgatory. The Manual of Indulgences, 4th edition, published by our bishops, is now the standard reference. Consult the bulletin insert, which is also on our website. A plenary indulgence is granted to those who visit a cemetery from November 1 to 8 and devoutly pray for the dead, or devoutly visit a Church on November 2nd and pray for the dead using the Our Father and the Creed under the usual conditions. On Monday, November 2, we have Mass at 9am.
Yours in the Immaculate Heart of Mary, Fr. Mark G. Mazza, Pastor