The month of communion of saints is upon us

The month of November in the Church’s year of grace and favor from the Lord holds a special place in our Catholic life. It is referred to as the month of the communion of saints. It is also the month which ends our current year with the Solemnity of Christ the King and begins our new year of grace and favor from the Lord with the First Sunday of Advent.

I would like to review why this month is so important for us as Catholics. November 1 is the Solemnity of All Saints and November 2 is the Feast of All Souls, two days which remind us, who are alive and striving to live and perfect our faith, that our time on this earth has been determined by Almighty God. This should not frighten us but, on the contrary, gives us every reason to hope and to live our lives so that when He calls us to Himself in death, we are prepared to go to Him and receive our particular judgement.

Whenever we profess our Catholic faith, one of the articles of this faith is our belief in the communion of saints. We are reminded that it is our faith which unites us not just to one another now, but it unites us with every saint in heaven and with every holy soul awaiting heaven and being purified of every stain of sin in purgatory. The saints in heaven assist us on earth and the souls in purgatory with their prayers and merits; we on earth can assist the souls in purgatory with our prayers and sacrifices and we should do this often. The holy souls in purgatory, as have the saints in heaven, assist us with their good example of lives lived for and in and with the Lord while they lived on this earth. Thus, we understand this communion of saints as not just a nice idea, but it is a living relationship which spans time and eternity and of which each of us is a member. The first two days and feasts of November give us an opportunity to exercise that membership in the communion of saints in the best way possible, by participating at Holy Mass.

The last Sunday of our Church year is the Solemnity of Christ the King. On this Sunday, we are reminded that it is Jesus Himself Who will return to earth at the end of time as the just judge of all mankind. His return will be the general judgement when all will rise from the dead and body and soul will be reunited for all eternity, either in heaven or in hell. Again, this great day gives us every reason to strengthen our faith and hope in His merciful grace and use that grace to purify ourselves of every sin and all the effects of sin.

Finally, the Sunday following is the First Sunday of Advent, the beginning of our Catholic New Year of grace and favor from the Lord. It is also the season for our preparation to celebrate the Church’s second most important day, the Solemnity of the Nativity of the Lord Jesus, the beginning of our redemption by the Son of God made Man. Advent is to be a time of increased prayer, increased good works of charity and definite penance as a preparation to receive the Lord into our hearts and lives on Christmas. What we do in Advent as a preparation should continue to be a part of our lives on Christmas and beyond. What better way to come to know, to love and to serve the Lord Jesus than to wait on His coming and then, like the Blessed Mother and St. Joseph, live with Him and follow Him?

Enjoy this holy month of November.