Dear Parishioners:
We had a festive celebration of All Saints Day on Monday. Our school students and families gathered for Mass as we celebrated the saints. Following the Mass, Bishop Evans blessed the new statue of St. Joseph with the Christ Child. This beautiful new statue was a gift from the OLM School Class of 2021. We thank them for such a fitting gift for our school and parish, especially as we continue to celebrate the Year of St. Joseph. We are also grateful to Paul Anderson, who ensured the statue was erected quickly and had lights!
Finally, with the Apostolic Letter "Patris corde" ("With a Father's Heart"), Pope Francis recalls the 150th anniversary of the declaration of Saint Joseph as Patron of the Universal Church. The Holy Father has proclaimed a "Year of Saint Joseph" to mark the occasion, which concludes on December 8, 2021. At the conclusion of his Letter, he invokes a prayer to St Joseph:
"Hail, Guardian of the Redeemer, Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary. To you God entrusted his only Son; in you Mary placed her trust; with you Christ became man. Blessed Joseph, to us too, show yourself a father and guide us in the path of life. Obtain for us grace, mercy, and courage, and defend us from every evil. Amen."
Perhaps we might all offer this prayer as we gaze upon the beautiful statue of St. Joseph night and day. May he guide and protect our parish and school community. St. Joseph, pray for us!
On All Saints Day, we celebrate the Church Triumphant, which is the Church in Heaven. In the kingdom of God we find the Holy Trinity, the angels and saints, and all those who have reached the fullness of salvation in Christ.
The term "Church Triumphant" underlines the truth that in the glory of Heaven, all human sin will have been transformed, death and suffering will be no more, and the glory of God will have triumphed over all the imperfections of human history.
When the Church canonizes a saint, She confirms they are in Heaven. The Pope does this based on the supplied evidence of a holy Catholic life and the evidence of miracles credibly attributed to the prayers of the saint. Canonization says they are in Heaven now and that any purification they might have needed is complete. The Church is not thereby indicating that the saint required no time in Purgatory, only that their purgation is now complete and they are in Heaven, as seen by the evidence of the miracles wrought by God through their prayers.
Though we cannot know if or for how long a canonized saint might have needed purification in Purgatory, it seems likely that even most canonized saints would need some purgation after death. Even very holy people probably need some final cleansing for the Lord to finish and perfect this awesome promise in us.
The Church Suffering refers to the Church in Purgatory. Purgatory is not a kind of temporary Hell but rather the threshold, the antechamber of Heaven. In Purgatory, all those, whether Christian or not who have entered the gates of death without reaching the full perfection of life. This perfection is represented in Christ, and so they are cleansed in a kind of ongoing baptism and purified by the Holy Spirit's enlightening fire. The suffering of Purgatory is not one of destruction but the suffering that comes from leaving the old self behind and taking on the new. In November, we pray especially for the Poor or Suffering Souls in Purgatory.
The Church Militant refers to the Church on earth. The term "militant" can suggest an antagonistic relationship between the Church and the world. However, it refers to an authentic reality: that the Church on earth works to overcome the imperfect and sinful dimensions of human existence. The Church's mission is not to oppose the world and society. Rather it is to work for the transformation of the world by the effective preaching of the Gospel, by the instructive power of good works, and the bold witness of the baptized into Christ. Thus, in faith, we ask the Church Triumphant to intercede for us, in hope we pray for the Church Suffering, and in charity, we are the Church Militant!
Be well. Stay safe. Do good. God Bless. Go Pats!!!!