Saints Are Our Spiritual Heroes

Oct. 29, 2023

November is the last month of the Church’s liturgical year. We begin the new liturgical year on the First Sunday of Advent, which will be on Dec. 3. During this final month of the liturgical year, the Church turns her eyes to what she refers to as the “Four Last Things.” These are Death, Judgment, Hell, and Heaven. She also reflects on the great doctrine of the Communion of the Saints. This is the teaching that the Church is not just made up of those believers living in the world today. It incorporates the Church Victorious (those already in Heaven), the Church Suffering (the Poor Souls in Purgatory), and the Church Militant (we in this world, fighting the good fight).
   
Wednesday of this week, Nov. 1, is the Solemnity of All Saints, which is a Holy Day of Obligation. Masses at Mother of God for that day will be at 12:05 pm and 6:30 pm. On this day we reflect on those of our brothers and sisters who are already in Heaven, having completed the spiritual journey of learning to love God and to love neighbor, as Jesus teaches in today’s Gospel. These are the saints, our spiritual heroes who remind us that our true citizenship and our destiny is in Heaven. Human like us, they show us that it is possible to live a life of holiness in this world, and that despite the struggles we face in this world, Christ will bless us richly in the next.

All those in Heaven are saints. This includes those who have been officially declared so by the Church and those anonymous men and women who are in heaven, including many of our family and friends who have gone before us.  We ask them to pray for us as we continue to make our way in this life on our journey to Heaven.
   
On Thursday, Nov. 2, the Church celebrates the feast of the Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed, or All Soul’s Day. On that day we remember all who have died, including our family and friends, especially those who have died over the past year. Remembering them, we also pray for them. We do not know which of those who have died have actually arrived in Heaven. So, we pray for them knowing that our prayers can assist those who are in Purgatory to complete their final purification and enter into the perfect happiness and joy of Heaven.
There will only be one Mass at Mother of God on All Souls Day, at 12:05 pm.
--Fr. Mike Comer

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