St. John Nepomucene

 Commemoration of the Faithful Departed;
All Souls

 
During the month of November with the Feast of All Saints and the Feast of All Souls, we remember our loved ones who have died.  In reference to the Feast of All Saints, we celebrate all those who shined the Light of Christ to us and are now in heaven.  In reference to the Feast of All Souls, we remember those in need of final purification before they reach their heavenly destination. Those in purgatory,  we assist them with our prayers to reach their heavenly home.
 
We Remember – The Paschal Candle that stands in our middle aisle stands for the truth that because of the Death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ, death is not the end but the beginning of a fuller dimension of life.  Because of the Death and Resurrection of Christ, both those who live on this earth and those who die can become alive in a new way, a deeper way, a fuller way.  The Paschal Candle stands for the truth that Jesus Christ is present as Our Risen Lord to comfort those who mourn as He comforted Martha and Mary over the death of Lazarus, their brother.  May he comfort all of you with the words which He spoke to them, “I am the Resurrection and the Life.  Whoever lives and believes in me…shall never die.”
 
In the very act of remembering in prayer, Jesus Christ the Risen Lord becomes truly present to us in the Eucharist.  And as we remember your loved ones who have died, they become present to us.  The names of those who died from November 1, 2018 thru October 31, 2019 are written in the Book of Life, by Mary’s altar.  The All Souls envelopes on which you have listed the names of your loved ones are on the Altar of Sacrifice and will be especially remembered during the month of November.
 
A century and a half ago, Henry Ward Beecher said, “What the heart has once owned and had, it shall never lose.”  Today, we pay homage to those whom our hearts have owned and had and whom we shall never lose.  We recall those who gave us life; those who touched our lives in such a way that we will never be the same; we have been changed for the better by having known them.  We remember mothers and fathers; sons and daughters; brothers and sisters; grandparents and great grandparents; relatives, friends and all our ancestors in the faith.  We look forward to the day when we shall see them again.  In the meantime, we continue to ask them to pray for us, to guide us, and to cheer us on so that one day we too may reach our heavenly destination and be with them.