November is traditionally called “All Souls” month in the Catholic Church.
It is a time when Catholics are called to remember the dead. Remembering a deceased loved one in prayer, especially by having a Mass offered for deceased relatives and friends, is an important part of our Catholic faith. Yet many Catholics have left behind this venerable and ancient practice of praying for the dead or having Masses offered for their deceased family members and friends. Too often prayers for the dead are seen as a heavy burden or unnecessary obligation of days gone by and generations past.
As a result, many Catholic parishes see Mass books empty of names, as offering a Mass for the repose of a dead relative’s soul is not part of the modern Catholic experience. Seemingly it is uncalled-for in a culture lacking both in faith and understanding of venerable traditions.
Many parishes see, all too often, faithful and devout Catholics who have died denied even a Mass of Christian Burial by children and relatives who have dismissed the practice of the faith as outmoded and unwanted. Their lack of faith results in a quick and easy dispatch for the deceased. In an increasingly secular culture, there seems to be no importance placed upon the praying for the dead or in offering the Mass for a deceased relative.
These troublesome trends in our culture point to a serious problem regarding the proper respect for the dead as well as for the efficacious nature of the Mass. The Church has never stopped calling forth prayers for the dead. Indeed, a profound respect for the dead still has a preeminent place in Catholicism. This respect must include a dignified Mass of Christian Burial for the departed in which the souls of the faithful departed are commended to God’s merciful judgment. A Funeral Mass is an opportunity to praise and thank God for his love and mercy towards the deceased, to offer prayer for the repose of the soul of the departed, and to provide the family with comfort and consolation.
Prayers for the dead cannot be an arbitrary decision but must remain an essential part of the Catholic faith life. Catholics who have practiced their faith for decades upon decades deserve nothing less.
During this All Souls month of November, let us pause from the frantic pace of our daily lives and resist the secular temptation to forget the dead. Instead let each of us stop to offer prayers for our beloved dead and all those souls who have gone before us marked with the sign of faith. Call your local parish today and set a date for a Memorial Mass for your deceased mother, father, relative or friend. St. Augustine taught us that monuments are built to help the living while prayer is the best way to assist the dead. Let November 2008 be the time that we begin to truly assist our beloved dead with prayers and Memorial Masses.
