As we enter into the solemnly beautiful and somber “Month of the Dead” this November we have some powerful celebrations at the very beginning of the month. Of course, the Solemnity of All Saints on Nov. 1 is when we recall our big brothers and sisters in the faith who remind us Christian living is possible. With the assistance of God’s manifold grace and the perserverence of our human will, where they have gone, it is possible to follow. This “great cloud of witnesses” quite concretely spurs us on to faithful living and embracing the lofty demands of discipleship. 

 

Then on Nov. 2 we have the moving commemoration of all the dead, or All Souls Day. It’s a reminder that nothing is so strong as baptism. Through baptism we become members of the Church. Sharing with one another, praying for one another, bearing one another’s burdens, celebrating each other’s joys, and this powerful communion into which we enter through baptism never ends. Our sins can’t break it; Satan and his legions can’t break it; death itself cannot break the bond all Christians share. 

 

So we remember on All Souls Day that even after death we’re in this together. We are linked together by the Savior in a common mission, the establishment of His Kingdom here and now and the salvation of souls. With the Eucharistic context, we recall that the Catechism of the Catholic Church calls the Eucharist the sacrifice to be offered also for the faithful departed so that those who “have died in Christ but are not yet wholly purified” may be able to enter into the light and peace of Christ (CCC 1371). This is where we get the deeply Catholic tradition of having Masses said for our deceased relatives and friends. The Mass is the most perfect, most powerful, most sublime prayer the Church can offer to the Father in the Voice of Christ for the redemption of the whole human race. 

 

When we have Masses offered for the dead, it’s important to remember a couple of things. First, everyone in purgatory wants to be there. Purgatory is not a prison, it’s a process. It’s a process of enlightenment. Oftentimes, when I’m planning a funeral with a family, an adult child of the deceased will say something to the effect of, “I never knew how much my mom did for me until I became a mom myself.” Purgatory is similar. We will see sin the way God sees sin. Our eyes will be opened. That process will be enlightening and purgative. Once we see our sin in its totality, that’ll sting a bit, but it will also cause us to release any desire to sin again. 

 

Everyone in purgatory knows that the next stop is heaven. Perfect light. Perfect happiness. Perfect joy. Therefore, purgatory is filled with hope! It’s a very hope-filled “place.” 

 

Finally, the Masses we offer for the dead are not so much letters to the warden begging him to commute the sentence given to our family members “stuck” in his jail. Rather, they are like love letters to our family on the other side of the grace spurring them on, encouraging them, and letting them know we still love them, think about them, and pray for them. So, this Month of the Dead offer the perfect sacrifice acceptable to the Father for the living and the dead. Adoro Te Devote!