Things I’ve Seen and Heard
This week, Holy Church celebrates the Feast of All Saints. This is a very important feast day in
the life of the Church because it reminds of all those who have gone before us who we know have
succeeded in their faithfulness to the Gospel and to the Lord. I have in my library a four volume set of
large books with small print entitled: “Butler’s Lives of the Saints.” There are hundreds and hundreds of
recognized, canonized saints contained in this work, absent many who have been recently canonized by
Popes John Paul II, Benedict XVI, and Francis. There are saints from all walks of life, and from just about
every place, and every culture on Earth. They are Popes, Bishops, Priests, Deacons, Men and Women
Religious, single people, married people, adults, children, farmers, lawyers, doctors, theologians,
philosophers, scientists, common folk, and royalty. There is a recognized and canonized saint from
practically every walk of life, who the Church recognizes (for centuries now through a very stringent
vetting process and through the verification of two miracles attributable to the intercession of the saint)
as being with the Lord in the Kingdom of Heaven. The saints made it. They have attained what we all
hope, pray, and work for which is eternal life with God. We celebrate this, not only because it is
important for us to recognize the Church Triumphant in Heaven and to ask for their prayers for us, but
also to remind us that there was likely someone just like us, with very similar circumstances,
weaknesses, and struggles, who is now with the Lord. If they, people who were just like us, made it, if
they could live the Gospel fully and faithfully, then following their example of holiness, so can we.
This Monday, Holy Church also commemorates All Souls. This is a day in the Church’s life which
has a dual purpose. It is a commemoration and a remembrance of those who have gone before us,
those in our families, our friends and relatives, our loved ones, those we have lost in the past year. This
is a commemoration to bring comfort those who are left behind, and to those who mourn. This
commemoration is also about calling our attention to the need to pray for the souls of the departed.
Oftentimes in our contemporary times, there is a tendency to “canonize” those who have died. We
desperately want to know, and believe that our loved ones whom we have lost are in Heaven, but this is
something we simply cannot know, and only God knows. This is also something with which we are not
powerless. The Church asks us to pray for the dead, because our prayers can and do help those who
have died. The Souls in Purgatory need our prayers. Our prayers can help them, comfort them, and
bring them, for lack of a better term, more quickly to finally enter the Gates of Heaven. The Souls in
Purgatory are saved, but need to be cleansed before entering into Heaven, and our prayers for them
assist them in that. If the dead we are praying for are in Heaven (which is all our hopes), then our
prayers are to saints who can assist us as we continue our journey through this life. The Church has
always had the tradition of praying for the dead, and it is from this that the Commemoration of All Souls
arises.
Finally, I would like to give an update on the One Faith, One Hope, One Love Campaign which I
will try to include every week until the conclusion of the campaign. As of the end of our volunteer
meeting last Monday evening, our parish has reached 67% of our goal, and is approaching $1 million in
pledges. Remember that our goal is $1.425 million, and we are making great progress. Again, I
encourage families who have not yet been contacted to please be patient, as we are still striving to meet
families as one-on-one as we can. Everyone will be asked to participate in some way, and please, pray
for the success of the campaign.
Take Good Care,
Fr. Bryan