Reflection for the 32 Sunday of Ordinary time, week beginning 7 November 2021.
November is the designated month of the HOLY SOULS. Its opening day is the Solemnity of ALL SAINTS. Its following day is ALL SOULS. These are two most significant consecutive days. This year, ALL SAINTS was moved one day earlier to the Sunday. This was to be expected since it guaranteed a larger attendance. The “downside”, however, was that it wrecked the consecutivity. On ALL SAINTS day, we celebrate the CHURCH TRIUMPHANT – all who have attained their heavenly eternal destiny. This day sets the scene for all the remaining days of the month. From the 2nd day onwards, our focus is Purgatory, the place of purification. The souls there are known as the CHURCH SUFFERING – they are saved but need to take into themselves more light. Each soul there will leave for Heaven only when God the Father knows its state of readiness has been reached i.e. it is ready to gaze upon the Face of God eternally – equipped for the Beatific Vision – the wonder of God’s Face which lights up the entirety of eternity. (In eternity there will no longer be any sun, moon and stars – they are only for this earthly world). The souls in Purgatory can do nothing to help themselves, as they are completely dependent on our prayers for them. The CHURCH TRIUMPHANT in Heaven are willing them to join them. The CHURCH TRIUMPHANT in Heaven and then the CHURCH SUFFERING in Purgatory are 2 of the 3 categories that make up the full Church – the 3rd category is the CHURCH MILITANT (that is us, and believers like us, who are striving to fight the good fight of the Faith – only in that sense are we to be reckoned ‘MILITANT’). The 3 categories are the fullness of the Church, known as the COMMUNION OF SAINTS, the MYSTICAL BODY OF CHRIST. The 3 categories are very closely linked – when souls leave Purgatory for Heaven, they will then pray for souls who have entered Purgatory after them. This November, let us treasure the truth of these close links within these elements of the Mystical Body of Christ.
Good Shepherd Catholic Church 