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A Message from Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M.
There is something about November that invites us, as Catholics, to reflect more deeply on life, death, and eternity. As autumn leaves fall and the days grow shorter, nature itself reminds us that our earthly lives are passing. But for those who believe in Jesus Christ, death is not the end of the story. Death does not have the final word. God does. And God’s word is life!
The Catholic Church begins November with two beautiful celebrations: the Solemnity of All Saints on November 1 and the Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed, or All Souls’ Day, on November 2. Together, they remind us of the great hope that is ours through the death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ.
On All Saints’ Day, we celebrate those holy men and women, known and unknown, who now share eternal life with God. Their lives remind us that holiness is not reserved for a privileged few. It is the calling of every baptized Christian, lived through faith, kindness, forgiveness, sacrifice, and love. As Pope Francis reminded us, the saints are witnesses of Christian hope because they followed Jesus through the joys and sufferings of life.
On All Souls’ Day, our thoughts turn to those we have loved and lost: parents and grandparents, husbands and wives, children, relatives, priests, religious and dear friends. We remember their lives with gratitude, their absence with sorrow and their eternal destiny with hope.
The Church does not ask us to deny our grief. She invites us to see beyond it. Our faith assures us that the bonds of love formed in Christ are not destroyed by death.
Throughout November, the Church remembers those “who have gone before us marked with the sign of faith and rest in the sleep of peace” (Eucharistic Prayer I). That “sign of faith” was given to us in Baptism, uniting us forever with Christ and with one another in the Communion of Saints.
Our Holy Father, Pope Leo XIV, recently commented: “All this begins with our baptism and will never end. Baptism introduces us into communion with Christ and gives us true life… Death never has the last word! The final word, which opens the doors to eternity and joy that lasts forever, is the resurrection, which knows no discouragement and frees us from the pain of searching for meaning in our existence.”
Our Catholic faith teaches that this communion includes the saints rejoicing in heaven, the souls undergoing purification in purgatory and all of us still making our earthly pilgrimage. We remain one family in Christ, united in faith, hope and love.
This is why praying for the dead is such a beautiful and important Catholic tradition. Sacred Scripture reminds us that it is a holy and pious thought to pray for the dead (2 Maccabees 12:45-46). The Church teaches that those who die in God’s friendship but still need purification are assured of salvation and are prepared through God’s mercy for the fullness of heaven (CCC 1030).
The Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC 1021-1022) reminds us that at the moment of death, each soul encounters Christ in a particular judgment. Those who die in His grace, though not yet fully purified, are assured of salvation and undergo a final cleansing – what we call purgatory. Our prayers, sacrifices, and acts of love offered for these souls are a profound gift. As Pope St. John Paul II beautifully said, “Praying for the souls in purgatory is the highest act of supernatural charity.”
Our prayers for them are not merely gestures of remembrance. They are acts of love.
We may no longer hear the voices of those who have died, see their faces, hold their hands, or enjoy their company. But we can still do something for them. We can pray. We can remember them at Mass, visit their graves, offer sacrifices in their memory and commend them to God’s infinite mercy.
Here in the Diocese of Trenton, I encourage all our faithful to make November a special time of prayer for deceased family members, friends, priests, religious and parishioners, especially those who have no one left to remember them.
November also invites us to reflect upon our own lives. One day, others will pray for us. That thought should not frighten us but inspire us to live more faithfully, love more generously, forgive more readily and prepare our hearts for the eternal life God promises.
Blessed Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen once encouraged us, “as we enter heaven, we will see them, so many of them, coming toward us and thanking us. We will ask who they are, and they will say, ‘a poor soul you prayed for in purgatory.’”
The familiar words of the Catholic funeral liturgy offer us profound consolation: “For your faithful, Lord, life is changed not ended.”
That is the message of November. We remember because we love. We pray because we believe. And we hope because Jesus Christ is risen from the dead.
May this month deepen our gratitude for those who have gone before us, strengthen our faith in the Resurrection and renew our confidence in God’s promise of eternal life.
Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. May the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.