Category: Mass

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Introduction – Prayers Of The Faithful

During November the Church remembers those who have died and we pray for their swift inclusion among the saints and the elect in heaven. This month is also the time when our nation remembers her war dead, both the combatants who died in distant places and veterans who came back and have since joined their comrades in eternity.

Remembrance Day holds many memories for Canadians. The memories are especially poignant for those who lived during times of war and remember the young and brave ones who answered the call to preserve freedom and defeat tyranny. For many others we recall the eleventh of November when we gathered at cenotaphs, usually under grey skies on damp and cold pre winter days. We recalled much harsher conditions where Canada’s best fought and died far from the comfort of home and family.

For those whose homecoming was to God we offer the warmth and embrace of our prayers for them. For the others who came home, bearing the memories of lost comrades and the scars of physical wounds and wounds of heart and spirit, we offer the healing balm of our gratitude and prayers and we wish the peace of eternity for those who have reunited before the throne of God.

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Introduction – Prayers Of The Faithful

Praying for the living and the dead is one of the Spiritual Acts of Mercy. November, cherished as the Month of the Souls, is a time when we remember all the deceased. We remember the saints, most of whom have no feast day or even a record of their names, on All Saints’ Day, Nov. 1st. On All Souls’ Day, Nov. 2nd, we pray for those who have entered a purification as they encounter God in eternity. Our prayer for them is one of the most hopeful acts we can perform as Catholics.

It is a proclamation that bonds of love and faith are stronger than death and they can never be broken. Our prayer for the dead is also our witness before God that these people belonged to Christ and that they lived in the hope of Heaven.

Many will remember going to the cemetery on All Souls’ Day to visit the graves of family members and friends, and maybe to stop at the graves of people who had no living relatives. We would pray for the repose of their souls. We would offer a prayer of thanksgiving to them, and for them, and maybe offer forgiveness (or ask for it) for past wrongs. We can still do this during a pandemic. No social distancing required from graves and you won’t need a mask!