Just as each one of us is born into the context of a family, when you and I were “born [again] by water and Spirit” (cf. Jn 3:3-5) through our baptism, we were born into the context of a much larger family. I refer to the family of the God, the Church.
Holy Mother Church is a wonderfully beautiful yet mysterious reality into which we’ve been invited by Christ. It was not we who chose Him, but He who chose us (cf. Jn 15:16). How blessed we are! It can be too easy for us to think that the Church is only what we know as the visible Church here on earth with all of its institutions, etc. But, just like each human person consists of both a visible and invisible reality, a body and a soul, so too the Church is composed of both a visible and an invisible reality.
The visible reality of the Church we know decently enough. This is you and me, the faithful of God here on earth. It is also all the spiritual goods given to us by Christ such as can be primarily experienced and seen in and through the sacraments. This visible reality of the Church of course includes the necessary institutions of the Church such as the Apostles, the bishops who are their successors, the priesthood, the organic and structured life of worship, etc.
Yet, the invisible reality of the Church, I believe, deserves more attention in our day. Not only because it would greatly benefit us to do so, but because we inevitably lack a sufficient understanding of the gift of the Church if we neglect this invisible reality. By this invisible reality I am referring primarily to all members of the Church, not just us. That is, Jesus Christ as the Head and founder of the Church, our Blessed Mother as a co-heir with us in the glories of heaven, all the blessed saints already enjoying the full presence of God in heaven, and all of the faithful departed who, while holy and chosen by God, are still in need of purification before entry into heaven. As an analogy, how unfortunate it would be not to know your family members. Well, all of the saints in heaven and all of the holy souls in purgatory (undergoing a holiness purification) are just as much a part of our spiritual family in Christ as are the baptized still living here on this earth.
As we begin this month of November, we start off by calling to mind the many saints in heaven, known and unknown, as we celebrate the Solemnity of All Saints on Nov. 1st. We then move quickly to remember and pray for all the holy souls in purgatory as we celebrate All Soul’s Day on Nov. 2nd In fact, the whole month of November is traditionally dedicated to praying for these holy souls on their way to heaven. For, “it is a holy and wholesome thought to pray for the dead that they may be loosed from their sins” (2 Mac 12:46).
Let us also remember, however, that both the saints in heaven and the holy souls in purgatory pray for us and seek our salvation because they love us dearly, more than we can imagine. What a pity it would be for us not to solicit their prayers for our salvation! Moreover, they long to be in deep friendship with us that we might have companions and true guides toward our heavenly homeland.
This November, let us take part in our Christian privilege in being in communion with the whole Church in both her visible and invisible realities. Let us pray for each other and ask the prayers and friendship of the saints and the holy souls in purgatory so that soon enough we will all one day be fully united in Christ before our heavenly Father in heaven!
With fatherly love,
Fr. Stiles
REMINDER: NO IN-PERSON MASSES THIS WEEKEND SAT. OCT. 31ST AND SUN. NOV. 1ST, DUE TO COVID-19 HEALTH CONCERNS. THANK YOU.