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November - Month of The Holy Souls By TOM DENNEHY November, with its darkening days and colder temperatures, is suitably given the title of “Month of the Holy Souls”. As we pray for our loved ones who have gone before us, we should also reflect on the topic of death and what happens after each of us breathes our last. It may be a morbid topic for us to think about, but it is a fact of life. It is an absolute certainty that one day we will have to face our Creator and account for our lives. We need to reflect and make any changes needed so that we are ready when our final hour comes. Our beautiful Catholic faith gives great hope and absolute assurance of a new life in the presence of Jesus in His heavenly kingdom. Jesus came from Heaven to tell us about the love of His father and the place He has prepared for us when we die. We read in Sacred Scripture in John 14. 2, “In my father’s house there are many mansions; if this were not so, I would not have told you, I am going there to prepare a place for you?” In the Catechism of the Catholic Church 1030- 1036, the Church teaches that immediately after death, our soul separates from our earthly body and we stand before God for judgement. Heaven is the ultimate end and destination that we long for. It is a state of eternal happiness. Those who are free from all sin enter Heaven immediately. Purgatory is a place of purification for those who die in friendship with God but are not purified of their sins. Those in Purgatory are guaranteed Heaven eventually but the time spent there depends on how much purification
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the soul needs. In November, we pray for the souls in Purgatory that they may soon be with God in Heaven. At the end of time, Our Lord Jesus will come again to judge the living and the dead. All souls will be rejoined with their bodies and those in Purgatory will be joined to the souls in Heaven. Hell is for those who have deliberately chosen to reject God and His love. If we persist in a state of serious sin, then we condemn ourselves to Hell. Pride can prevent us from realising our need for the mercy of God for our salvation. One of the primary reasons why November is earmarked as the “Month of the Holy Souls” is that Catholics are reminded to pray for the Holy Souls in Purgatory. We can get masses offered for them, make sacrifices by abstaining from something we like and pray Holy Rosaries and Divine Mercies for them. We visit graveyards and pray and gain plenary indulgences for our loved ones who have died. We are also encouraged to pray especially for those who have no one to pray for them. Some people think Purgatory is a punishment from God and are afraid to journey through it. No, it is not a punishment, it is God’s Divine Mercy and His extravagant love for us. It is a process of healing and transformationpurifying love. God transforms a soul capable of experiencing the fullness of joy that is Heaven. There is a joy and a hope in the souls eagerly awaiting to be
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in full communion with The Holy Trinity and to live in the presence of God’s love for all eternity. Then when the souls reach Heaven, they will intercede for us before the throne of God and will be there to welcome us when we enter Heaven. Our wonderful Catholic faith has given us all the necessary means of getting to Heaven. We have the wonderful grace of the Sacraments which gives us the strength on our journey to meet the Lord. Holy Mass and receiving the Holy Eucharist often, regular confession, daily rosary, Adoration and reading Sacred Scripture all heal the wounds of our souls and help us be prepared to be welcomed home. Message from Our Lady of Medjugorje on November 6, 1986. “Dear children; Today, I wish to call you to pray daily for souls in Purgatory. Every soul needs prayer and grace in order to reach God and His love. By doing this, dear children, you obtain new intercessors who will help you in life to realise that all earthly things are not important for you, that only Heaven is that for which is necessary to strive. Therefore, dear children, pray without ceasing that you may be able to help yourselves and the others whom your prayers will bring joy”.
Issue 102 November 17th, 2023
