Reflection

In the month of November the Church traditionally remembers and prays for those who have gone before us. It is a beautiful tradition of the Church that highlights the unity of the Church with its physical presence on earth and its spiritual existence and union in the afterlife with heaven and the Church in waiting.  The Church is, according to the Catechism, – ‘the Communion of Saints’ (paragraph 946).  In our faith we believe that the Church on earth, through prayers and sacrifices, can help the souls of the dead to reach the fullness of life and joy in heaven.  The Catechism of the Catholic Church paragraph 958 says ‘from the very earliest days the Christian religion has honoured with great respect the memory of the dead’; and because ‘it is a holy and a wholesome thought to pray for the dead that they may be loosed from their sins’ (2 Maccabees 12:46), she offers her suffrages for them.  Our prayer for them is capable not only of helping them, but also of making their intercession for us effective.

The message is that our prayers can help those who have passed away to get to the joy of heaven.  The Church invites us in this month to specially remember and pray for those who have gone before us.  In our Chapel this month we have a Remembrance Book where we invite students and staff to write the names of their loved ones who have gone before us.  We pray especially for these people throughout this month and will remember them especially in our Masses.

All of us have family members and friends who loved us, helped to form us into who we are, made great sacrifices for us and have died.  They loved us and we loved them in life.  Let us continue to love them also in death – one way to do this is through our prayers for them.  Why not make a family list of departed love ones this month and pray for them as a family or to take up the ancient tradition of asking for a November Mass to be offered for our loved ones?

We join with all the Church as we pray for all the dead: ‘Eternal rest grant unto them O Lord.  May Your perpetual light shine on them.  May they rest in peace’.

Holy Family of Nazareth – Be our inspiration and our guide.

Jesus of Nazareth – Help us to grow in faith, wisdom and knowledge.