Note From The Pastor
 
 
“The dying of the daylight, foretells creation’s end.” 
 ~ from hymn by James Quinn, S.J.
Where did the time go?  Daylight fades so quickly now that we have returned to standard time (tonight - Nov. 1 - sunset at 5:41 PM).  All around us nature is settling into the long rest of winter.  Autumn reminds us that another cycle of life is coming to an end.  This reminds us of the human cycle of life and our own mortality.  In the month of November (the last month of the Church calendar) the Church calls us to shift our focus to the end of things or, as we traditionally call them – the Four Last Things.
 In Catholic teaching the Four Last Things are: Death, Judgment, Heaven and Hell.  These are the ultimate truths of our existence and we are reminded to reflect on these things to help us stay on track in our spiritual lives.  The Church helps us do this in November in our liturgies and the Scriptures we hear at Mass.
This week we celebrate All Saints Day (Nov. 1) and the Commemoration of all the Faithful Departed (All Souls’ Day - Nov. 2).  On All Saints Day we celebrate all the faithful who are “saints,” that is, those Christians who are with God in heaven.  If someone is in heaven they are a saint.  Since they are in heaven we thank God for their faithful lives and we ask them to intercede or pray for us.  On All Soul’s Day we pray for those who have died and are in the process of getting to heaven.  Praying for the dead goes back to the beginning of the Church.  Jews prayed for the dead, St. Paul prayed for his departed friend Onesiphorus (2 Tim. 1:16-18) and early Christian writers documented praying and sacrificing for the dead.  We do that all year, but in a special way in November.  We will have three Masses at each parish on All Souls’ Day.
Of course praying for the dead presumes they need our prayers – which they do.  This is because almost all of those who are destined for heaven need to be without even a stain or effect of sin to be in God’s presence.  That is what is meant by Purgatory.  Yes, Purgatory is still a central truth of our Christian faith.  While not listed as one of the “Last Four Things” it is closely connected since it is part of both, judgment and heaven.  Let me give a brief review of our understanding of Purgatory.
Purgatory is a process (although we conceptualize it as a place) or period of purification after death.  When we die we are judged.  The options are heaven immediate, heaven after purification, or hell. The Catechism of the Catholic Church states:
When we die, our souls are judged immediately by Christ in what's called the "Particular Judgment": Each man receives his eternal retribution in his immortal soul at the very moment of his death, in a particular judgment that refers his life to Christ: either entrance into the blessedness of heaven — through a purification or immediately, — or immediate and everlasting damnation. (CCC, 1022)
There is basis for purgatory in the Sacred Scripture.  Christ makes reference to forgiveness in the “age to come” (Mt. 12:31-32) and St. Paul mentions that “If any man’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire.” (1 Cor. 3:15).  Scripture frequently references fire as a process for purification such as with gold, silver, etc. and also teaches us that God is a “consuming fire” (Heb. 12:29).  That is why Saint Pope John Paul II at a General Audience in 1999 clarified, “purgatory does not indicate a place, but a condition of existence, [where Christ] removes the remnants of imperfection.”  Purgatory is not a second chance.  During our human life, we either accept or reject God's offer of mercy and divine grace.  Once we die, we cannot change our choice about God or His grace. (CCC, 1021).  Purgatory is not a permanent existence.  Souls in need of purification will eventually be in heaven.
Finally, during November our Sunday readings begin to speak more about our personal end and the end of the world.  This leads up to the final Sunday of the Church year when we celebrate the Feast of Christ the King. This recognizes that in addition to our individual judgment when we die, Christ will come back for a universal judgment and establishment of his Kingdom at the end of time.  Listen carefully to the Scriptures proclaimed at Mass in November.  They will help you understand the truth of the Four Last Things.
November is a time to reflect on the ultimate last thing – life after this life is complete.  Please join in prayer for those who have gone before us.  We also reflect and pray for our own souls.  We all have to face the last things – death, judgment, heaven or hell.  We do this every time we pray the Hail Mary.
“Our prayer for them [the dead] is capable not only of helping them, but also of making their intercession for us effective.”
~ Catechism of the Catholic Church (#959)
Yours in Christ,
Fr. Dale