Never Forget the Dead {All Souls}

Do you give more thought to fallen leaves than to your fallen relatives and friends?  Some of our dearly departed are still awaiting heaven, in a cleansing place called purgatory, and benefit from our prayers and sacrifices on their behalf.

Whether one believes in it or not, purgatory is real and if we end up there we'll wish more people down here were earnestly praying for our release.  On All Souls Day (November 2) the Church commemorates all the faithful departed and we continue to hold them in our prayers in a special way throughout the month of November.

Priests are allowed to offer three Masses on All Souls Day.  Participating in these Masses (though not required) is an honor and a gift we can give the poor souls awaiting heaven. 

Father Saguto, FSSP, offers Mass at Holyrood Catholic Cemetery on All Souls Day.

 

An altar boy lights the candles surrounding the catafalque on All Souls Day.

Biblical scholar Dr. Scott Hahn gives a straight forward answer to questions surrounding the biblical truths of purgatory in an interview on EWTN's Journey Home.  As a former anti-Catholic and still zealous evangelist, his perspective is especially insightful

Father Vreeland, FSSP, prays absolution over the catafalque at High Mass.

If you've never been to a Solemn High Requiem Mass for All Souls Day, St. John Cantius Church in Chicago, Illinois, uploaded a video of theirs.  Consider it a history lesson in this year of faith.

Today I attended my first High Requiem Mass for All Souls Day at North American Martyrs parish in Seattle.  The Gregorian Chant from the choir loft above sounded heavenly, as always, and the somber tone of the sequence before the Gospel was especially moving.  I posted a short clip (above), which, though a poor amateur recording from the pew, gives a little auditory taste of today's high Mass in Seattle.

Someone once told Venerable Fulton Sheen, "I don't believe in hell."  Rev. Sheen quipped, "You will when you get there."  The same could be said about purgatory, "You'll believe in it if you stop there on your path to heaven." 

 II Mac 12:38-46

Hebrews 12:29 

1 Cor 3

May the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace.

Holy Thursday {Do WHAT in memory of You, Jesus?}

Now we leave Lent and enter the Sacred Triduum liturgy which begins with Holy Thursday's Mass of the Lord's Last Supper and concludes with the celebration of Jesus' Resurrection.  On Holy Thursday, Jesus instituted the Holy Eucharist, the Holy Mass and the priesthood.  Although it's not a holy day of obligation, we wouldn't miss this Mass for the world.  Let me try to put this into perspective:

 TRIDUUM

{Jesus' Passion, Death and Resurrection} = the culmination of the entire liturgical year

Followed by 8 days of celebrating the Resurrection {Octave of Easter}

Followed by 50 days of Easter Season leading us to Pentecost!

You might ask: Why not just skip ahead to the joy of the Resurrection at Easter?  Buy some candy, fill some cute little baskets and get ready to party!  But let's get real: what sense does the Resurrection make without the Crucifixion?  And what sense does the Crucifixion make without the Last Supper?

Dr. Scott Hahn is a shining star, but Jesus' True Presence, veiled in the Holy Tabernacle, is exponentially brighter!

I recently had the pleasure of attending a few lectures on the Eucharist given by Dr. Scott Hahn, a former Catholic-basher, and successful protestant pastor, whose quest for Biblical truth led him to the place he LEAST expected to find it.  Dr. Hahn himself says that a Catholic was the "last thing on earth I ever planned to be."   And: "I would have been in the hospital with broken ribs from my laughter..." at the idea of becoming Catholic.

I was inspired to hear Dr. Hahn:

The Eucharist is the key that unlocks the Gospel."

The devout Jews witnessing Jesus' crucifixion would not have called it a sacrifice, they would have called it an execution. 

In order to make sense of the events of Friday, one must to go back to Thursday...


Jesus' Jewish apostles were very familiar with the Passover ritual.  Clearly, Jesus stepped outside the box when he broke with the established and well known tradition and instituted the New Covenant (New Testament).

Jesus gave clear instructions: "DO this in memory of me..."

Jesus did not say 'write this in memory of me.'
Jesus did not say 'read this in memory of me.'

The New Testament was a sacrament LONG before it became known as a document~ according to the document! 

The New Testament (collected books of the Bible) never refers to itself as such, rather when the apostles and followers of Jesus referred to the "New Testament," they were speaking of the Eucharist!

Food for thought on this Holy Thursday!

More Scott Hahn on YouTube