Souls and Saints… 

As the daylight hours grow shorter there is a natural tendency at this time of year to think about the ‘shortness’ of our time here on earth. Our two feast days that begin our month of November have us thinking about not only our deceased loved ones, but also about our own souls on the journey to sainthood and heaven. 

Each November we display photographs of our relatives who have died. They remind us of the many people who have helped us know God’s love through their love of us. At every Mass, we are surrounded by the Communion of Saints… joining us in worship of God. 

On the Gathering Space table, notice a statue of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph. This statue of the Holy Family is an unusual one in that it depicts Jesus blessing/anointing Joseph when he is near death, with Mary at his side. You may remember that St. Joseph is the patron saint of a happy death. The statue reminds us to pray to St. Joseph for a loved one near death as well as our own preparation for death. I love this image of the Holy Family since it offers comfort to anyone who is caring for a parent with a long-term illness. As Jesus surely took care of his dying stepfather, Joseph, so too do we grow in holiness and grace when caring for a loved one who is ill or dying. 

The statue was a gift from the Hospital Sisters of St. Francis, who founded our own great St. Elizabeth Catholic Hospital here.

 I love the part of the Eucharistic Prayer when we pause and pray for our deceased loved ones, entrusting them to God’s Merciful Love. 

God’s Peace, 
Fr. Jim Deiters