When I was in high school, I saw a headline in a Catholic magazine for their November issue celebrating the month of All Souls. The headline was “All Saints, All Souls, All Month.” This expression always intrigued me. I used to think that the commemoration of the saints and souls was just one more holy day, one more event in the Church calendar that could be “checked off” and then put aside as we moved on to the next feast.
As I have gotten older, as I have experienced more life and more death, I realized the power of that simple slogan. It became a reminder that the celebration of our holy heroes, the memory of our deceased loved ones, and the belief in the “Communion of Saints” is not just something that we commemorate one day a year or only during a certain week. In Catholic theology and practice, the connection we have with the saints and souls is something that we should remember all the time - every day, every year.
These celebrations are liturgical reminders that Christians are part of a Church that extends beyond time and space. On All Saints Day we look to the future, remembering those who have gone before us in faith and who are now with the Lord. We are inspired by the lives of the saints because they have run the race and have received the crown of victory. We celebrate because we have the sure and certain hope that we, too, can reach this goal. Saint Francis de Sales tells us that “the lives of the saints are nothing but the Gospel put into practice.”
On All Souls Day we look to the past, to those who have fallen asleep in the hope of the resurrection. We pray that our departed brothers and sisters will experience God’s love, mercy, and forgiveness as they transition to a new life in the Lord. As the mystical Body of Christ, we believe that we can pray for one another all the time. This is not just an option; it is our duty as Christians. We need not be the holiest, most devout, most pious believer, nor do we need to be a religious sister or brother, priest, deacon, or bishop to accomplish this duty.
In the fall of 2020 Pope Francis issued an encyclical entitled Fratelli Tutti – Brothers and Sisters All. The Holy Father called the Church and the world to remember we are all connected as sisters and brothers. We are in relationship with all of humanity and we are responsible for one another, on Earth as is in heaven. The celebrations at the beginning of November help us to remember that we are all in this together. This message of faith and fraternity is something we must recall every day.
The month of November is a reminder of the relational nature of Christian life, of relationship with those who have gone before us, with those who will follow after, and with the God who is the source of all relationships.
May we remember this all month, all year. May we practice this every day.
Reverend Jack Kolodziej, OSFS
Provincial
Wilmington-Philadelphia Providence
