Posted on October 22, 2015 View all news
Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
In the Second Book of Maccabees, we are told: “It is therefore a holy and wholesome thought to pray for the dead, that they may be loosed from sins.” Taking her inspiration from this Old Testament text, the Church has always held it to be important for us to pray for the faithful departed. At each Mass, and especially on November 2, the Church gathers to offer prayers for all of our family members and friends who “have gone before us with the sign of faith,” as we are told in the Mass.
It is truly an act of charity on our part to pray for the holy souls in Purgatory, because if we do not, who will pray for them? I encourage everyone to pray daily for the souls of their beloved. In addition to this, I also encourage everyone to pray for those souls that have no one else to pray for them. On that blessed day when we hopefully enter the Kingdom of Heaven, together with our family and friends, these faithful souls will be at the gates of Heaven to give us welcome.
The Mass is the highest form of prayer we can offer while on this side of Heaven. To assist all our faithful departed, the Community-in-Formation will have a Novena of Masses from November 2-11. Each day, one of the Fathers will say Mass for those we have been given the names of. We will also distribute these names to all of the Community members for remembrance in our daily prayers during this time. Please complete the following form with the names of those you would like us to remember in these Masses. These need to be returned by October 31. While not necessary, the Community will accept whatever donation you feel appropriate. Make checks payable to the ‘Society of St. Philip Neri.’ Click this form for more information. The First Friday Mass on November 6 at 7:00 p.m. will be a sung Requiem Mass with prayers for the dead; all are welcome to attend. May God bless you, and may His perpetual light shine upon the souls of all the faithful departed.
In Christ,
