On November 2, the Church's liturgy invites us to commemorate All Souls' Day. All Souls' Day. It reminds us that Christians can and should help the blessed souls in Purgatory, who eagerly await their complete purification there, longing to reach the house of Heaven; our cooperation allows those souls to arrive as soon as possible.
Also, God, in His mercy, grants us the possibility of being intercessors for one another. Not only does He make this possible through Baptism, but He also reminds us that we need others and are responsible for others. We need the gifts of others, and we must be givers ourselves. We are both sheep and shepherds at the same time. Each of us depends on others, and others depend on us to reach Heaven.
All of us who are baptized are united to Christ, and in Christ, to one another. And so we can help one another without death standing in the way. Let us examine this truth of our faith, so that we may trust more in the communion of saints: «Dear friends, how beautiful and comforting is the communion of saints! It is a reality that gives a different dimension to our whole life.
We are never alone! We are part of a spiritual community in which profound solidarity reigns: the good of each person benefits everyone, and, conversely, the common happiness radiates onto each person. It is a mystery that, to a certain extent, we can already experience in this world, in family, in friendship, and especially in the spiritual community of the Church.Benedict XVI, Angelus. November 1, 2009).
On one of the walls of St. Peter's house in Capernaum, graffiti was discovered in which the early Christians invoke the apostle's intercession to obtain God's favor. This archaeological discovery in 1968 by an Italian group debunks the Protestant claim that the mediation of saints is a medieval invention of a superstitious church.
From the second half of the first century, Peter's house enjoyed a clear distinction from the others. When Christians ceased to be persecuted in the Roman Empire at the end of the fourth century, they built a pilgrims' home on the site and, later, a Byzantine church, the remains of which can still be seen today.
In the early days of the Church, veneration and recourse to the apostles and martyrs arose. Later, many others were added, including those «whose outstanding exercise of Christian virtues and whose divine charisms made them worthy of the pious devotion and imitation of the faithful» (Second Vatican Council, Lumen Gentium No. 50). The saints in Heaven are a treasure of the Church, a great help on our journey to Heaven, filling us with hope.
St. Augustine taught, «Let us not think that we are giving something to the martyrs when we celebrate their solemn days. They rejoice with us not so much when we honor them as when we imitate them.».
As Pope Francis pointed out, «the saints give us a message. They tell us: trust in the Lord, because the Lord does not disappoint. He never disappoints, he is a good friend always at our side. With their witness, the saints encourage us not to be afraid to go against the tide, or to be misunderstood and mocked when we speak of Him and the Gospel; they show us with their lives that those who remain faithful to God and His Word already experience the consolation of His love on this earth and then a hundredfold in eternity» (Francis, homily on the feast of All Saints, November 1, 2013).
That is why it is a Christian custom to read and meditate on the biographies of saints and their writings. With their lives and teachings, they show us the good and righteous path to find and love Jesus, who is the common denominator of all of them. They serve as our guides and speak to us in the intimacy of our hearts. Cultivating devotion to the saints, whichever ones we choose, will bring into our lives great friends in Heaven, who will pray to God and accompany us on our journey.
The term patron originates from Gaius Maecenas, an advisor to the Roman emperor Augustus, who used his wealth to promote the arts, protecting and sponsoring poets, writers, and artists of his time. In our case, God desires and allows us to show solidarity among brothers and sisters if we live united with Jesus Christ. This is the reality of the communion of saints.
This solidarity extends to all who are baptized. Through Baptism, we become part of the Church, the mystical body of Christ, of which He is the head (cf. Colossians 1:18). This communion not only signifies “union with,” but also implies “communication of goods” among the souls in whom the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Christ, dwells.
«Just as in a natural body the activity of each member benefits the whole, so too in the spiritual body that is the Church: since all the faithful form one body, the good produced by one is communicated to the others» (St. Thomas Aquinas, On the Creed, 1. c. 99).
Since Baptism makes us partakers of eternal life, of life with God, death does not interrupt that union with those who have died; it does not break the family of believers. «God is not the God of the dead, but of the living, for to him all are alive» (Matthew 22:32). Therefore, this month we focus our prayers on the deceased, on the souls in Purgatory.
«In this month of November, we are invited to pray for the deceased. Guided by faith in the communion of saints, try to entrust to God, especially in the Eucharist, your deceased relatives, friends, and acquaintances, feeling them close to you in the great spiritual company of the Church» (Pope Francis, Audience of November 6, 2019).
The Church encourages us to intensify our help to those who have died, to sponsor them with the treasure of graces that Jesus gave to his Church and with our good works, which should be the main recipients of our patronage, so that they may be admitted into Heaven.
By God's goodness, we Christians who are pilgrims on earth can collaborate with Him. Through the communion of saints, with our prayers, we accelerate the process of purification of those souls, hastening their entry into Glory. How much we can help them!
This solidarity is very pleasing to God because, in His mercy, He desires that the beloved souls in Purgatory reach Heaven as soon as possible. Therefore, praying for the deceased is one of the spiritual works of mercy that we must always practice, but especially in November. In a private revelation, Jesus said:
«I want you to pray for these blessed souls in Purgatory, for my divine Heart burns with love for them. I ardently desire their liberation, so that I may finally unite them with me completely! (...) Do not forget my words: "I was in prison and you visited me." Apply them to these blessed souls: it is Me whom you visit in them, with your prayers and your works on their behalf and for their intentions.».
«From the earliest times, the Church has honored the memory of the dead and offered prayers in suffrage for them, especially the Eucharistic sacrifice, so that, once purified, they may attain the beatific vision of God. The Church also recommends almsgiving, indulgences, and works of penance on behalf of the dead» (Catechism of the Catholic Church, no. 1032).
Is that how we do it? When we attend a funeral, do we pray intensely for the deceased? When we attend Mass, do we pray intensely for the deceased? Mass, Do we remember to pray for the deceased, at least at the moment when the liturgy provides for it, in the memento of the deceased, which is included in every Eucharistic prayer?
When we pass by a cemetery, do we lift our hearts to God, praying for the souls buried there? Out of pity for them, do we visit our deceased loved ones, to pray for them, tidy their graves, and bring them flowers as a sign of hope?
Does the illusion of “emptying” Purgatory, of God granting a general amnesty, move us to earn indulgences for the deceased, to offer any good work as a form of suffrage, to pray the Rosary imploring the Virgin, gate of Heaven, to help her children? We can also dedicate Mondays to praying for the souls in Purgatory, according to the custom of the Church...
«Our prayers for them can not only help them, but also make their intercession on our behalf effective.» (Catechism of the Catholic Church, no. 958). Prayers for the dead are “two-way” prayers. The souls in purgatory are closer to God than we are, and always will be; they are united with us through the communion of saints and they love us. They do not suffer in vain; although they cannot merit anything for themselves, they can do so for us. In this way they give glory to God, seeking to fill the hearts of men with God's love so that they may be saved.
They will encourage us to apply ourselves, to love God and others more, to hate sin—even venial sin—which causes so much pain, to love the cross of each day, to purify ourselves through the means Christ has left us: prayer, the sacraments, charity...
They tell us: "It is worth not going through these hardships that we go through, also for your years on earth." Hence arises devotion to the souls in Purgatory. So, when someone close to us dies, it is just as appropriate to pray for them as it is to ask them for help. Let us entrust ourselves to the souls in Purgatory, let us ask them for things.
The saints have been great devotees of this mutual aid. St. Alphonsus Maria de Liguori affirms that we can believe that the Lord makes our prayers known to the souls in purgatory, and if this is so, since they are so full of charity, we can be sure that they intercede for us (St. Alphonsus Maria de Liguori, The Great Means of Prayer, Chapter I, III).
Saint Thérèse of the Child Jesus often sought their help, and after receiving it, she felt indebted: «My God, I beg you to pay the debt I owe to the souls in purgatory» (Saint Thérèse of the Child Jesus, Last Conversations, August 6, 1897).
Saint Josemaría Escrivá also confessed his complicity with them: “At first, I felt very strongly the company of the souls in purgatory. I felt as if they were pulling on my cassock, asking me to pray for them and to entrust myself to their intercession. Since then, because of the enormous services they have rendered me, I have liked to speak about, preach, and instill in souls this reality: my good friends, the souls in purgatory.».
«None of us lives to himself, and none of us dies to himself» (Romans 14:7). «If one member suffers, all suffer together» (1 Corinthians 12:26). Everything that each person does or suffers in and for Christ benefits everyone. We can pray and work for others, known or unknown, near or far, and intercede before God for their sufferings, fears, ailments, illnesses, conversion, salvation...
The love that leads us to seek service, comfort, and material care is the same love that, with supernatural meaning, leads us to pray and offer small sacrifices for people who may be physically distant but are very close to the heart of Christ. It is real help, and effective love and affection.
In business, it is fashionable to sell the idea that the best deals are “win-win” deals. You win if others win too. In the communion of saints, this is certainly true. It is an incentive for our Christian life. God allows us to accompany others through the communion of saints. Furthermore, if we think of others, it becomes less difficult for us to overcome what is difficult for us and what we must do. Perhaps we would not do it for ourselves, but thinking of others, of the needs of the Church and the world, gives us the final push. We cannot fail them.
This is what St. Josemaría suggested: «Have you seen how easily little children are deceived? They don't want to take bitter medicine, but... come on! they are told, this spoonful is for daddy, this other one is for your grandmother... And so on, until they have swallowed the whole dose. The same goes for you» (St. Josemaría Escrivá de Balaguer, The Way, no. 899), which is so difficult for us.
In this way, we foster the awareness that we are never alone and never do things by ourselves. There is always someone praying and sacrificing for us. And with that help, we can do it. Everything that unites us to Christ, everything that comes from Him, is shared by all and helps us all.
St. Josemaría reminded married couples who visited him of this. «In my conversations with so many married couples, I insist that as long as they live and their children live, they must help them to be saints, knowing that none of us will be saints on earth. We will do nothing but struggle, struggle, and struggle. And I add: you, Christian mothers and fathers, are a great spiritual engine, sending your children God's strength for that struggle, to overcome, to be saints. Do not disappoint them!» (St. Josemaría Escrivá de Balaguer, The Forge, no. 692).
In Hebrew, the word used to refer to marriage is kidusshin, a word used to designate “holiness.” The Jews considered marriage to be sacred, and therefore used the term sanctification, a gift from the Spirit of God. God also shows his mercy through the family: he does not leave us out in the cold, but his plan of love is that man should be born and live in a family, in which each member, thanks to the love of the spouses for each other and for each child, is able to live in, from, and for love.
Husband and wife are God's co-workers: your family It must be introduced into God's family through your holy life of total dedication. You live in a special communion of saints with your spouse and your children. Such is God's interest that He blesses marriage with one of the seven sacraments. And it is also the devil's interest that the family be wrecked, as we see in these times.
To make this a reality in everyday life, it may be helpful to establish the custom of offering the good things of each day of the week for one of the members of the family. If it helps, in distributing the days, you can dedicate Saturday to your wife, since the Church especially remembers the Virgin Mary; Wednesday to yourself, since the Church remembers St. Joseph; Monday to deceased family members, for that reason; Sunday to the whole family in the broadest sense, because it is Trinity Sunday and it is normal to spend it with the family; ...apply the rest. You can repeat or combine them depending on the size of your family.
When, by God's mercy, we arrive in Heaven one day, we will be able to contemplate the great good we did for many Christians and for the whole Church from our desk, kitchen, gym, living room... We will marvel at the potential of the communion of saints, and we will receive many thanks and give thanks for so much help. Therefore, let us not waste a single hour of work, a setback, a worry, or an illness. We can turn everything into grace and thus, united with Christ, enliven his entire mystical Body. And this month, let us do so more intensely for the souls in purgatory who so greatly need our help.
Alberto Garcia-Mina Freire
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