Last Sunday, the Church celebrated the Commemoration of the Faithful Departed, better known as All Souls Day.  Whether it  falls on a weekday or a weekend, I’m always moved by that annual opportunity to lift our hearts and voices in prayer for those who have completed life’s journey.  We entrust them to the Lord’s tender mercy, in a spirit of confident hope that they will share in Christ’s resurrection and be welcomed to places of honor in our Father’s house.  Though All Souls Day invites us to pray for all who have died—and in particular for those being purified so as to enjoy the bliss of heaven—most of us naturally think of our own loved ones: spouses, parents and grandparents, relatives, friends, and perhaps even children whom we have lost.  We ask God to forgive their sins and failings, to make them radiant and new, and to take them into his strong arms.

The whole of this month of November is dedicated to our remembrance of the faithful departed—especially the holy souls in Purgatory—so we’ll continue to display the Book of Remembrance to the right of the sanctuary, and to keep your All Souls envelopes on the  altar till the end of the month.  And as our nation marks Veteran’s Day this Tuesday, November 11^th, we pray for all the men and women who have served in the armed forces  of the United States, certainly including those who have died.  May God bless them for their gift of service, and take those who have died home to paradise.

For those of you who may have a bit of time  on Tuesday morning, our seventh and eighth graders will be gathering in St. Lawrence Cemetery on Lakeland Ave., to pray the Rosary with Maria Davidson on such an important day of gratitude and remembrance.  All are welcome to join them at 10:00 AM.

Given the theme this column is taking, I’d like to take the opportunity to thank Mr. George Ferrer, the Director of our Parish Cemetery.  George has been a wonderful asset to our parish staff, bringing great skill and a depth of knowledge to his very important role, but always with a sensitivity and pastoral care that has no doubt been a real consolation to literally hundreds of grieving families.  George has expert and compassionate assistants in the Cemetery Office, and all of them together have helped those who suffer a loss here at St. Lawrence with a generous measure of patience, compassion, and understanding.  Whenever I drive past the cemetery—or spend some quiet time there—I’m always grateful for the solemn beauty of the place, and grateful for the people who are so dedicated to keeping it that way. Perhaps you might spend some time in our cemetery this month—whether you have a loved one buried there or not—and lift up a prayer for all who rest in that holy ground.  May the One who vanquished death by his own dying and rising beckon them home, and grant them peace!

May our brother and patron, St. Lawrence, pray for us!  God love you.

If the liturgies of this first weekend in November seem strangely placed, it may be because the last time we observed All Saints Day on a Saturday, and All Souls Day on a Sunday was 11 years ago. 

All Saints Day remains a solemnity—the  highest rank a feast on the Church’s calendar can have—though Mass is not obligatory this year.  On All Saints we honor the countless men, women, and children who learned to love as Jesus commands us to, and—whether they happen to be canonized or not—are now rejoicing in heaven’s embrace, beholding God for eternity.  It was only several weeks ago that Pope Leo canonized two new saints—St. Carlo Acutis and St. Pier Giorgio Frassati.  St. Carlo was only 15 when he was diagnosed with and died from leukemia.  Given his age, and the appeal of a teenager being recognized for his extraordinary goodness and virtue, it’s not surprising his story has captivated millions around the world, both Catholics and non-Catholics alike.  Never forget that St. Carlo’s reward is OUR destiny too, from the moment of our baptism.  And on All Saints Day we not only celebrate those who’ve been welcomed into paradise; we also ask their prayers as we make our pilgrim way to the house of God our Father. 

This Sunday, November 2^nd is All Souls Day.  For centuries the Church has pointed to this particular day on the calendar as an especially opportune time to lift up our hearts in prayer for all our departed loved ones—indeed, for every human being who has crossed the threshold of death.  Like the liturgy of a funeral Mass, All Souls Day urges us to cling tightly to hope, even in the midst of the heartache, emptiness, and bewilderment that can come with grief.  Tears are a natural and very human response to loss, and the Lord himself was no stranger to the sadness of death (think of how he wept at the death of his friend, Lazarus).  But as Christians, we are called to trust that our 60 or 80 or 100 years of living in this present world are simply a foretaste of what God has planned for those who love him.  As St. Paul famously proclaims in his Letter to the Romans, nothing can separate us from the love of Christ—not age, not illness, not even death!  We are designed for eternity, and All Souls Day encourages us to pray for all who have gone ahead of us, asking that the Lord enfold them in mercy,  and carry them safely home. 

This Sunday, I invite you to pray for all those you have loved and lost (for a time).  The 9 AM Mass is our Family Mass for November, and at 11 AM we prayerfully recite the names of all our parishioners who have passed away over the course of the last year.  May these holy days renew our faith in the promise of Resurrection.  The One who promises is trustworthy!

And may our brother and patron, St. Lawrence, pray for us!  God love you.

PS – Don’t forget we’ll be showing an excellent 90-minute film on St. Carlo Acutis next Sunday, right after the 11 AM Mass.