Devotions from November 1 to 7, 2021
We are preparing to celebrate two important observances: the Solemnity of All Saints and the Commemoration of the Faithful Departed. Pope Francis called them “days of hope,” and during this time we all need hope! The first Christians represented hope with an anchor; hope, founded on God’s faithful word, is like an anchor that gives believers stability because, although they are on a journey, they are certain that they already belong to God. Hope is not optimism, but Jesus himself, who reveals the Father’s love through the Holy Spirit, his power to liberate and renew every life. And this is the astonishing newness: with Christ and through the Spirit, God’s love is present in our everyday lives until it takes possession of our existence.
MONDAY 1o NOVEMBER
All Saints
Let us reflect on this light-filled solemnity through the words of Pope Francis: «The Solemnity of All Saints is “our” feast: not because we are good, but because God’s holiness has touched our lives. The saints are not perfect models, but people touched by God. We can compare them to the stained-glass windows of churches, which let light in through different shades of color. The saints are our brothers and sisters who have welcomed God’s light into their hearts and transmitted it to the world, each according to their own “shade.” But all of them have been transparent; they have struggled to remove the stains and darkness of sin, so as to let God’s gentle light shine through. This is the purpose of life: to let God’s light shine through, and it is also the purpose of our lives. […] True happiness does not consist in having something or becoming someone; true happiness is being with the Lord and living for love. Do you believe this? We must move forward in order to believe it. So, the ingredients for a happy life are called the Beatitudes: blessed are the simple, the humble who make room for God, who know how to weep for others and for their own mistakes, remain meek, strive for justice, are merciful toward everyone, keep their hearts pure, always work for peace and remain joyful, do not hate and, even when they suffer, respond to evil with good.
Here are the Beatitudes. They do not require spectacular gestures; they are not for superhumans, but for those who live through the trials and hardships of every day—for us. This is what the saints are like: they breathe, like everyone else, the air polluted by the evil in the world, but along the way they never lose sight of the path marked out by Jesus, the one indicated in the Beatitudes, which are like the map of Christian life» (Angelus, November 1, 2017).
For further reading:
• The saints of the day
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 2
Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed
On this holy day, let us pray for all the dead, for our loved ones, for abandoned and forgotten souls, for the popes, bishops, priests, religious, lay faithful, and for all those awaiting the moment to encounter the face of God and who are undergoing purification. For all of them, let us pray in the same words as today's liturgy: «Almighty God, your only Son, in the mystery of Easter, passed from this world to the glory of your kingdom; grant that our departed brothers and sisters may share in his triumph over death and contemplate you eternally, O Father, who created and redeemed them». To aid the souls in Purgatory, the Church also proposes the practice of “indulgences”. These obtain remission of the temporal punishment due for sins. Every fault, even after forgiveness, leaves something like a debt to be repaired for the harm committed. From its “spiritual” treasury, made up of the prayers of the saints and the good works performed by all the faithful, the Church draws what is to be offered to God so that he may “remit” the punishment of the departed souls that they would otherwise have to undergo in Purgatory. From noon on November 1 through November 2, a plenary indulgence may be obtained. How? By visiting a church and reciting the Creed and the Our Father. These three conditions must also be fulfilled:
• Sacramental Confession: this condition may be fulfilled several days before or afterward. Through one Confession, several plenary indulgences may be obtained, provided that we remain free from any attachment to sin, even venial sin.
• Eucharistic Communion, preferably received during Holy Mass.
• Prayer according to the intentions of the Supreme Pontiff, reciting the Our Father and Hail Mary. From November 1 to 8, the octave for the dead is celebrated; anyone who visits the cemetery and prays, even silently, for the dead can obtain a plenary indulgence, applicable to the dead, under the conditions written above. The indulgence can be received only once a day.
For further reading:
• Prayers for the souls of our departed in Purgatory
• Prayers for the souls in Purgatory
• The wonderful secret of the souls in Purgatory
• The final journey
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 5
Venerable Giorgio La Pira
Giorgio La Pira is an extraordinary Christian figure. Mayor of Florence, prophet and builder of peace and unity among peoples, he drew the meaning of his life and the inspiration for every choice he made from faith in Christ and from giving himself to Him. While still very young, he wrote to his aunt Settimia: «The purpose of my life is clearly marked out: to be the Lord’s missionary in the world; and I am to carry out this apostolic work in the circumstances and environment in which the Lord has placed me». And thirty years later, in a letter to his friend Fanfani, he explained his “strange” political activity like this: «You see, dear Amintore, I am not a mayor, just as I am not a deputy or an undersecretary. […] My vocation is a single one, structural, I would say: despite all the shortcomings and unworthiness one may wish to point out, by the grace of the Lord I am a witness to the Gospel». We would truly like to welcome these words of La Pira with some of his faith and passion. I think that today he invites each of us to Christian hope, to commitment to peace and fraternity, even though the world appears more tired and the problems facing us, from the pandemic to peace in the Middle East, to Africa’s problems and world hunger, seem to have grown larger.
For further reading:
• Giorgio La Pira. A man of God
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 7
Start of the novena to Saint Giuseppe Moscati
From today, you can begin turning to Saint Giuseppe Moscati in prayer. This holy doctor used to say: «Above quarrels, gossip, and resentment, Christian charity must inspire us». Let us make his teaching and example our own.
For further reading:
• Saint Giuseppe Moscati
Let us live this week under the banner of hope! Praying to the saints and venerating the dead means precisely committing ourselves to adopting those attitudes toward life that enable us to value the past and welcome the future that is already breaking into our small history. All that remains is to invite you to comment on this post.
Have a good journey!
