Dear Folks,

Today is the beautiful feast of All Souls, one of those rare occasions when a feast takes precedence over the celebration of Sunday. It is the day when we pray for all our loved ones who have passed away.

Sometimes folks say to me that they want a funeral to be a celebration—but I look into their eyes and see that they are not truly celebrating in their souls. Death is painful for those who remain, and the pain we feel is directly related to the love we have for the dearly departed.

There is nothing contrary to our faith in going through healthy mourning and shedding tears.

In fact, it is faith that changes everything. The Cross gives meaning to our pain and loss. No tear is wasted when it is given to Jesus. When freely offered to God, it shares in the very power of His Cross and His victory over death.

The greatest thing you can do for your loved ones is to pray for them. And there is no more perfect prayer than the Mass. In the Mass, our sufferings, sorrows, and joys are placed on the altar and united to the sacrifice of the Cross. The Mass is Jesus’ High Priestly prayer before the Father. Don’t you want Jesus Himself offering prayers for your loved one? This is what it means to have a Mass offered.

Once again this year, you will see the banner with the names of our parish brothers and sisters who passed away over the last 12 months. A candlelight Mass for this year’s faithful departed will be offered on Friday the 14th. Praying for our loved ones is a great privilege—one to which the Lord grants tremendous grace and power.

Also, please see the announcement about altar server training, which begins in 10 days. There are multiple sessions, as I want to have our new servers trained and ready for Christmas!

 

Pax,

Father John Mosimann