November is the month set aside by the Church for us to remember our beloved dead.  We begin this month-long celebration with two very important Feasts; All Saints Day and All Souls Day.

Saturday was the Feast of All Saints.  We believe that every Christian is called to be a Saint (holy person).  In the Acts of the Apostles the membership of the Church is actually referred to as “the saints”.  The Church teaches that if we follow the teachings of Christ, we will enter Heaven.

Heaven is being with God for eternity, those people who are in heaven are Saints.  When the Church has proof that someone is in heaven, she declares them a Saint and places their name in the Book of Saints.  They are then canonized Saints.  Those who are in heaven, but have not yet been listed in the official canon of the Church are called Saints, but they are un-canonized.

Sunday is All Souls Day.  On this day we remember all the Souls in Purgatory.  Purgatory is the place where the soul of a person is prepared for heaven.  A person can not enter heaven with any stain of sin on their soul.  If we have the stain of sin on our soul when we die, we go to Purgatory to be prepared for eternal existence with God in Paradise.

When we pray for the Souls in Purgatory, we are helping them to be prepared for heaven.  My mother use to tell me that if we were able to help someone in Purgatory enter Heaven, that person would never forget us as we struggle here on earth.

God Bless,

Msgr. Powell