Wednesday, November 1st, is the Solemnity of All Saints! This is the day on which the whole Church celebrates our brothers and sisters who have gone before us and are in heaven. We all know people who have passed away and were wonderful examples of the faith. They are probably now in heaven! In other words, they are SAINTS! (They are not angels! When humans die, we do not become angels! We remain human and are, we pray, in heaven with the Blessed Trinity, Our Blessed Mother Mary, St. Joseph, and all the saints! But we do not become angels!)
In our Diocese of Savannah, we have five Franciscan martyrs, the Georgia Martyrs, who were killed because they upheld the dignity of the Sacrament of Marriage. The son of a local Guale chief wanted to take another woman for his wife and Fra Pedro de Corpa and his brothers told him that he couldn’t do that. That action would violate the dignity and beauty of his current marriage. He did it anyway and he and a band of warriors killed five Franciscans on and around St. Catherine’s Island (a 6th survived and escaped to St. Augustine). You can read their story here: www.thegeorgiamartyrs.org. These men could potentially be Beatified in the next few years!
Do you have a special Saint that is close to you? Perhaps it the saint for which you were named? Maybe the saint you chose to be your confirmation saint? My middle name is Francis so I am close to St. Francis of Assisi and St. Francis Xavier (my confirmation saint). I am also close with St. Joseph, St. Therese of Lisieux, St. John of the Cross, Pope St. John Paul II, and St. Theresa of Calcutta. I am coming closer to Blessed Stanley Rother and Servant of God Cora Evans.
These are our brothers and sisters. Let’s get them interceding for us, praying for us and our intentions! They are members of the Church Triumphant and live in the presence of Almighty God. They not only model Christian discipleship to us, but they pray for us too!
COMMEMORATION OF ALL SOULS
The next day, Thursday, November 2nd, is the day on which the Church prays for all those who have died with the mark of faith, the Church Suffering in Purgatory. These are our brothers and sisters in the faith who have died and may be in Purgatory. For them, we pray and ask God to admit them into heaven!
Please join me at Noon at the Catholic Cemetery for a rosary and a walk praying for those buried there and all of our loved ones buried elsewhere who may be in need of our prayer! We will begin at the Priest’s lot which is in the middle of the main section. I will begin around Noon.
May the Lord bless you and your families this week!
~ Fr. Daniel Firmin