Bishop's Blog / The 8th of November

I had a good run today after a couple of days off after completing my 31 runs in 31 days trek. I'm planning to put something together around the Thanksgiving holiday............turkey trots seem to be popular and I can definitely supply the turkey!!!!!!

The picture reminds me of the theme that the Catholic liturgy sets for November. We celebrate All Souls Day on November 2. This is a traditional time to pray for all who have died. As Catholics we offer masses for the repose of the soul of loved ones and remember them especially in our prayers. Many people both Catholic and non-catholic have expressed to me how comforting it is to be able to pray for loved ones who have died. Some Christian traditions see this as simply a Catholic thing but it has always seemed to me that it is a logical aspect of our belief in Jesus Christ. The Catholic doctrine of Purgatory reminds us that the absolute separation between this life and the next is not reality. Our faith reminds us that life is a journey that continues through all the phases of this life and into the next. My personal experience of the loss of loved ones serves to deepen my faith that this is the reality.......those who have passed from this life continue to be alive in God and so we pray for them as we hope they pray for us.

Pretty heavy stuff on a November Sunday!!!! I pray that whatever your experience of death and loss may be you may find the ancient tradition of praying for the dead to be a source of great consolation and deeper faith.

---