All Souls Day

November means remember!

Today and every November 2nd, the Church invites us to remember our departed relatives and friends with fondness, affection and prayers for the repose of their souls.

Please know that, as I offered Holy Mass this morning, I prayed for the repose of the souls not only of my dear family members and personal friends, but for all the Faithful Departed whom I remember everyday in prayer.  May your loved ones and mine rejoice in the presence of Christ forever.  May they intercede on our behalf to our beloved Savior.  May we be together again in Heaven to praise God for all eternity.

It is curious that we don't hear a lot from the Bishops or the Clergy about Purgatory.  And yet, here we are today praying for the very souls who are awaiting the experience of the Beatific Vision.

There are some who incorrectly believe that, since Vatican II, the Catholic Church no longer teaches either the existence of Purgatory or the venerable tradition of praying for the souls of the departed who may be in this state of purification.  All Souls Day should be an indication to them that they are sorely mistaken.

Protestant theology does not admit or affirm Purgatory.  Luther removed Maccabees I and II from the Scriptures in defense of his criticism of the Catholic Church's abuse of the practice of indulgences.

Calvin preached predestination which renders any thought of Purgatory senseless.

Yet, the teaching of the Church about Purgatory has been consistent throughout its history.  

In the Dogmatic Constitution on the Church, the Council Fathers of Vatican II decree that there exists a communion between the Christian faithful who are alive, those who live in the glory of Heaven, and those who, after death, are being purified from the punishment their sins rightfully deserve.

Likewise, the Catechism of the Catholic Church affirms the Church's teaching about Purgatory and the necessity of purification to satisfy for the sins committed in life.  

Over the years, descriptions of the state of purification in the Purgatorial experience have evolved.  At times, the Church described the suffering of Purgatory as equal to the suffering of Hell but with hope that this experience was not eternal but transitory.  Pope St. John Paul II leaned very much in this direction about Purgatory and Hell being a state where souls agonized in fire and brimstone.  Others have characterized the Purgatorial experience as one of utter loneliness and isolation until the day when the soul was released into Heaven.

What is important to remember is this:  the descriptions are merely that, descriptions.  The may or may not correspond to the reality of the experience but the experience of Purgatory is real nonetheless.

I myself tend to think of Purgatory is an experience of deep regret, regret over all the times in life we could have done something to allow the goodness of God's love to be realized in our lives and those of others.  Regret over times and opportunities for goodness that we wasted and squandered in selfish pursuits.  Opportunities that came and went never to be available to us again.

I further tend to think that this intense experience of regret is instantaneous at the time of death.  When one passes from this life to the next, there aren't watches, or clocks or calendars which mark eternity.  I don't think the dead experience time.  They experience the depth of the reality of their lives and the emotions that go with that reality.

And so, as I offer Mass today for the Poor Souls, I pray for those will experience this intense regret for their sins and ask that the Lord alleviate their suffering according to His Holy Will.  At the same time, it is my fondest hope and belief that my loved ones and friends, that all who have died are in Heaven enjoying the eternal love of God.

Pray for your departed loved this day with faith and hope that they rest in His Peace forever!

A Blessed All Souls Day today and always!