In reading obituaries I often find a statement that John or Mary passed away peacefully, “surrounded by their loving family.” The death may have occurred in a hospital, care facility or private home, but clearly it brings a lot of comfort to the family knowing that their loved one passed away, “surrounded by their loving family.”
One of the great joys of being a Catholic is that in life and death we are always “surrounded by our loving family.” That’s what the Church is. It’s what we mean when we refer to the “Communion of Saints.”
Our belief in the Communion of Saints affirms that the Church has several dimensions. It is the Church of the faithful, still making our pilgrimage and stumbling along here on earth. It is the Church of the suffering, those souls in purgatory being purified of their sins and awaiting their entrance into heaven. And it is the Church of the triumphant, our brothers and sisters now with Christ and all the angels and saints in the glory of God.
We profess our belief in the Communion of Saints whenever we recite the Apostles Creed, but it is highlighted in a special way in the month of November.
The month begins with All Saints Day on November 1st, when we “celebrate the festival of your city, the heavenly Jerusalem, where the great array of our brothers and sisters already gives you eternal praise.” (The Roman Missal) Devotion to the saints is one of the great blessings of being a Catholic. We look to the saints for inspiration in their holy, heroic lives, and we turn to them for their assistance and protection. And because they are friends of God, we know they can deliver.
On November 2, All Souls Day, we remember and pray for all those who have died, all the faithful departed. All Souls Day often has an intensely personal dimension, as we lovingly retrieve the memory of our family and friends who have gone before us. Of this day St. John Paul said: “Today we are called to live a particular communication with our deceased. In faith and prayer, we reestablish our family links with them; they watch us, follow after us, and assist us.”
In short, the month of November reminds us that both while we live and when we die we are always “surrounded by our loving family,” and what a great blessing that is!
Something to think about: If you stay close to the Church, you will always have the comfort of a loving family.
