St. Mary Parish, Manchester at 210 West Main Street, Manchester, MI 48158 US - The Month of November Reminds us of our Mortality and Eternity

In the final weeks of the liturgical year, during the month of November, the Church devotes an entire month to intense prayer for the souls in purgatory, those souls who died with venial sin on their soul.

The practice of praying for the dead accomplishes two very important things: first, it assists those souls in purgatory who are in a state of spiritual purification and can no longer earn merits for themselves; and second, it allows the living to perform works of charity for their brothers and sisters who are in need while at the same time reminding themselves of the necessity of purifying their own souls so that they may spend less time in purgatory.

No matter how much time has passed since our beloved family and friends have died, we should never cease to pray for them. Once a soul passes from this life into eternity, time no longer exists for them. We have no idea how long individual souls that are in purgatory must stay there; it depends on the amount of sin on their soul. Our prayers are never wasted for the dead and will be applied to other souls should those we are praying for have entered into the glory of heaven.

HEAVEN IS OUR HOPE
In a way, the month of November is like Ash Wednesday. On Ash Wednesday, ashes were pressed onto our forehead in the sign of the cross, and the words of the priest that accompanied them served as a reminder of our mortality and that it is only through the cross that we are saved from sin and given the hope of spending our eternity dwelling with the Eternal Father in the room prepared for us by Jesus Christ.

During the month of November the Church takes us to the grave, in particular to the graves of our beloved dead, and gives us a sober reminder that the grave is our destiny; there is no escape from it. Therefore, we must live our lives in such a way as to be ready when we are summoned by God from this life into eternity to stand before the throne of Christ for judgment.

For Christians the grave is a sign of hope even as it claims our mortal bodies. The month of November brings these important spiritual realities to mind if we have forgotten them.

The cemetery, especially the Catholic cemetery, is a sacred place and an extension of the parish church. The cemetery is a place that we should visit frequently to pray for the dead and to contemplate our mortality.

ETERNAL REST GRANT UNTO THEM, O LORD
Last year during the month of November, we began the practice of praying for the souls in purgatory after the distribution of Holy Communion at every Mass. We will continue this pious practice as a parish family again this year.

I strongly encourage all families to incorporate this prayer for the dead into their family prayers so that it forms a part of the library of formal prayers learned in the domestic church and thus serves as a constant reminder to pray for the dead throughout the entire year.

We must teach our children that death is nothing to fear, and that it will bring us to the merciful embrace of the Redeemer. Living this way will cause us to live vigilant and hope-filled lives.

Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord.
And let perpetual light shine upon them.
May they rest in peace.
Amen.
May their souls and the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace.
Amen.

—Fr. Tim