This past weekend, we celebrated All Hallowtide, a beautiful celebration honoring those who have passed before us.
On November 1st, we celebrated All Saints Day, and All Souls Day on November 2nd. These two days speak to the full mystical nature of the Body of Christ and the power that God has over the stings of death.
To understand the full nature of the mystical path, I like to see it as levels.
Level One
On earth, we are the Church Militant. In this world, we are called to be witnesses to the power of God’s love by fighting sin and growing in virtue. The Church provides us with the sacraments and their graces from God that allow us to advance throughout our time on earth. As the Catechism of the Catholic Church states: By her very mission, "the Church ... travels the same journey as all humanity and shares the same earthly lot with the world: she is to be a leaven and, as it were, the soul of human society in its renewal by Christ and transformation into the family of God” (CCC, no. 854).
Then as we come to our end in this life, we hope to have fully lived out that verse from Paul’s letter to Timothy:
“I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith” (2 Timothy 4:7).
Level Two
Those who have moved on from this earth but are still in need of additional purification before entering Heaven are called the Church Suffering or the Church Penitent. We are called to help in providing prayers for our deceased family.
“From the beginning, the Church has honored the memory of the dead and offered prayers in suffrage for them, above all the Eucharistic sacrifice, so that, thus purified, they may attain the beatific vision of God. The Church also commends almsgiving, indulgences, and works of penance undertaken on behalf of the dead” (CCC, no. 1032).
Level Three
The Church Triumphant! All the saints in Heaven, those known and unknown to us but deeply connected in full, beatific splendor with our God, exist in Heaven. This level also includes very important work; the work of prayer. They are a ‘cloud of witnesses’ who never lose the gift of love for us, a love made stronger while being united with the Creator who is Love. So, they pray for us, to be united with them in Heaven. The saints’
“intercession is their most exalted service to God’s plan. We can and should ask them to intercede for us and for the whole world” (CCC, no. 2683).
We are a pilgrim church moving forward in life to achieve our greatest meaning, to be united fully with our Creator. From living a worthy life on earth, to being purified by his love in Purgatory, to then offering the deepest form of love in prayer in Heaven, we are a Church that transcends death. This Communion of Saints allows us to be united in the powerful love of Christ.
May the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace.
All saints, pray for us.
Jesus, be with us on this journey.
Daniel Quintero is a stand-up comedian currently attending Mary, Mother of the Church Catholic Parish. His favorite motto: “Awkwardness does not exist.”
Answering Christ’s call, Pilgrim Center of Hope guides people to encounter Him so as to live in hope, as pilgrims in daily life. See what’s happening & let us journey with you! Visit PilgrimCenterOfHope.org.
