Dear Friends in Christ,
During the month of November, the Church invites us to prayerfully remember our deceased loved ones and friends. As we remember them, we express gratitude to God for the gift of their lives and for the enrichment they have given to us. Praying for our deceased loved ones and friends is a high form of charity. Through our prayer, we express love and concern for them and help them to enter the fullness of eternal life.
One of the most important ways we pray for our deceased loved ones and friends is by offering Masses for the repose of their souls. The Mass, more than any other form of prayer, powerfully assists the deceased currently undergoing purification. The Church’s teaching on Purgatory can be summarized in this way: Due to our fallen human condition and sinfulness, very few of us are ready to enter into Heaven directly upon our death. In God’s mercy, God provides Purgatory to the saved through which they are purified of sin so that they may enter into Heaven. This teaching also helps us to understand the need for funeral Masses. Funeral Masses are important not simply as memorials for the deceased. They are an important part of our prayer for them. One of the corporal works of mercy is burying the dead. Funeral Masses and burials offer the deceased dignity and respect. They also reverence the body as the temple of the Holy Spirit during the deceased’s lifetime.
Our Christian faith offers us the hope of final resurrection and victory over death. Scripture is clear that it is faith which leads to eternal life. Through Baptism, we share in the Paschal Mystery. Just as Jesus suffered, died and rose again, so through our Baptismal union with the Lord we may do the same. We believe that on the Last Day, Jesus will come again in judgment. On this day, our bodies and souls will be reunited and we will rise to meet the Lord. For the faithful Christian, the Last Day need not be a terrifying thought. Rather, it may a joyful moment of reunion and fulfillment.
In Christ,
Fr. Michael