Of course, November begins with the glorious All Saints Day. The Triduum of Death, beginning with the All Saints Day vigil, encourages us to meditate upon the Four Last Things:
Death + Judgement + Heaven + Hell
However, Holy Church always calls us to be joyful and at peace. At every traditional Holy Mass we hear the words, “May the peace of the Lord be always with you” or “Pax Domini sit semper vobis cum.” All Saints Day is truly wondrous as we honor the entire Heavenly host and hope for our eventual union with them. This feast originated with the Church’s desire to honor the martyrs whose bones were kept at a particular church which was dedicated to all the saints, as this location was previously dedicated to “all the gods.” The Litany of the Saints, invokes both human saints and angels. All Souls Day, on the 2nd, is also a happy feast, as we know our prayers for the Holy Souls resound to God and expiate some, if not all (if a Plenary Indulgence is performed) of their cleansing in Purgatory.
See our previous 2 posts on the Plenary Indulgences which are so easy to obtain during the first week of November. Holy Church opens the Gates of Heaven this week in an incredible way!
What else can we do for the souls in Purgatory this month? After November 8th, you may still visit a cemetery with mental prayer for the Holy Souls, but the indulgence will be partial (you may do this any time of year). Other partial indulgences could be the recitation of the Office of the Dead or the De Profundis. Here’s also a well-known prayer by Saint Gertrude the Great, whose feast we celebrate on the 16th:
Eternal Father, I offer Thee the Most Precious Blood of Thy Divine Son, Jesus, in union with the Masses said throughout the world today, for all the Holy Souls in Purgatory, for sinners everywhere, for sinners in the Universal Church, those in my own home and within my family.
Amen.
We have 2 more “Greats” this month: Saint Leo on the 10th and Saint Albert on the 15th.
Let us not forget the feast of Christ King of the Universe, on the 24th, a Sunday. We celebrate 2 Marian feasts: The Presentation of Mary on the 21st and Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal on the 27th. The following day, the 28th, we honor the seer of the Miraculous Medal, Saint Catherine Laboure.
On the 13th, we honor Mother Frances Cabrini, a 20th century saint. I had the privilege of viewing her body in New York City some years ago at her shrine. The body is filled out with wax. The saint’s heart remained incorrupt and was transported to Codogno, Italy, where she founded the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. It is appropriate that her heart was preserved from corruption, as she was so devoted to the Heart of Our Lord.
We celebrate the Apostle Andrew on the 30th and December 1st begins Advent. If you plan to perform Advent exercises, think about preparing in advance.
Heavenly blessings to all in this month of the Holy Souls!
We discuss both trad and new feasts. Please consult your own calendar sources for further details.