Daylight is dwindling, and temperatures are dipping. Rains are becoming more frequent and insistent. Pumpkin-spice fever aside, this stretch of Ordinary Time can feel a little “less than” compared to the more festive, or more engaging liturgical seasons. We would be remiss, however, in letting the prophetic pair of November 1st and 2nd pass by without receiving all the Lord means for us to receive from the Solemnity of All Saints and the Commemoration of All Souls.
We believe in the communion of all the faithful of Christ, those who are pilgrims on earth, the dead who are being purified, and the blessed in heaven, all together forming one Church; and we believe that in this communion, the merciful love of God and his saints is always [attentive] to our prayers. (CCC 962)
As living Catholics, we are those “pilgrims on earth” referenced above. Our union with the other two parts of the Communion of Saints is harder for us to experience this side of the veil. But, as with all things heavenly, the more time we spend in prayer and study, the more we will know that Communion in our minds and hearts.
Would you care for a Saint?
Since our children were young, we have kept an All Saints Biscuit Jar as a simple, annual tradition. To do this, I typed a list of somewhat random saint names, printed it, cut it into strips with one name on each, and placed the strips in the jar. On All Saints Day, we prayed a family rosary and passed the jar around. We each offered a prayer to the Holy Spirit to receive the saint who had “chosen” us. Then in we reached.
After everyone had a slip of paper, we read the names aloud. What we knew about the saints was discussed, although sometimes our new friends were a complete mystery. Throughout the year we learned about our “temporary patron” and celebrated their feast day with a story, or a relevant dinner or dessert. Sometimes we would pray a novena leading up to the feast. In all cases, we made new heavenly friends who we look forward to meeting one day in heaven.
As our children are now young adults and daily prayer time has dwindled to just my husband and I, the biscuit jar tradition has simplified. I still pull it out faithfully, keeping the unchosen names from previous years and adding a few new ones. There is some eye rolling, but I persist in offering the tradition to honor our heavenly companions as well as to recall the seeds of faith planted at tender ages.
The jar is left out for the month of November and anyone who comes to the house is offered a saint. It has led to some interesting conversations about our faith in a way that doesn’t offend even the most un-Churched visitors. Who couldn’t use a new friend? Who wouldn’t like some heavenly guidance and help? At least in my experience, no one! It is a low-threat and even fun way of sharing the Faith. We gently evangelize that this is our faith, and this is how we live it. Saint-picking has led to conversations about Catholic teachings ranging from purgatory and the Holy Souls to the Christian roots of Halloween.
Remember the Holy Souls all month long and every day!
Another activity our family did, one I continue to look forward to each year, is “field trips” for the Holy Souls in the first week of November. Each day from November 1st through November 8th, a plenary (full) indulgence can be obtained for a Holy Soul by devoutly visiting a cemetery and praying for them. The prayers often suggested are one Our Father and one recitation of the Creed. That’s it! Just ten minutes of your time. The Holy Souls who become saints are grateful and become your intercessors, as well as your eternal friends.
If you have family buried in your hometown what better way to teach your children about the Communion of Saints than to visit the cemetery and pray? Even if you don’t, children tend to be fascinated by the history and beauty of these peaceful places. Praying for the dead is one of the seven Spiritual Works of Mercy. One of the graces of doing so is that it gives a true sense of belonging to the Great Cloud of Witnesses, beyond what we can see.
Do a little research about the indulgence opportunities available for the Holy Souls. Perhaps your family can make a monthly Work of Mercy for them. Perhaps certain members of your family will be drawn to a deeper, daily devotion to the Holy Souls. It all reinforces our understanding of the unity we share with them. There’s no reason to ever feel alone as a Catholic when we are an integral part of the Communion of Saints.
It is traditionally taught that St. Gertrude, who had a great devotion to the Holy Souls, once offered her Holy Communion for them. She had a vision of a great number of souls who were released from purgatory by this simple, pious act. A prayer attributed to St. Gertrude is said to release 1,000 souls each time it is devoutly prayed:
Eternal Father, I offer You the most Precious Blood of Your Divine Son, Jesus, in union with the Masses said throughout the world today, for all the Holy Souls in Purgatory, for sinners everywhere, for sinners in the Universal Church, those in my own home, and within my family. Amen.
On November 1st we celebrate the souls who are enjoying the beatific vision, enjoying God’s presence, whether canonized or not. On this day we can think of how we can imitate their virtue and thus become more like Jesus. We are encouraged by the truth that their prayers help us on our pilgrim journey.
On November 2nd we commemorate the faithful souls who are safe from eternal perdition but are still in the process of purification to behold the beatific vision. On this day we can plan Works of Mercy to do throughout the year to help them, our brothers and sisters in Christ.
On both days we celebrate the Communion of Saints that we are blessed to be a part of. Though our pilgrimage is not through, these special days remind us that our eternity has already begun, and our heavenly family is there for us, as we are there for them.
Dear Lord, as the days grow shorter, help our vision to grow longer, unto eternity. Help us to remember and live as part of the Communion of Saints, knowing that we have a heavenly family that both helps us and needs our help.
Eternal rest grant to them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them.
May the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.
