We are promised that the more we link our lives to Christ, the better off we become here and in the hereafter. Remembering the faithful departed this month helps us understand that living more Christ-like prepares us for a quicker path to unity with Him. And, the more we practice unifying with Him now, the more we hunger for eternal unity with Him. Part of linking our lives to be more Christ-like is to become ever more aware of the rhythm of His life. His life is outlined in many ways, including in the life of the Church He has entrusted to us. And, the Church we are called to be part of, has a unique calendar of events to help us reflect upon the mysteries of our faith.

Oh, Boy! A tremendous amount of chatter has revolved around the weather, politics and the holidays. The ultra super moon and the unseasonably mild weather has helped our attitudes remain just a little more optimistic about life in general. Some of us will be reminiscing about this autumn for years to come; recalling the seasonal characteristics to our neighbors, friends children and grandchildren. I think many of us will need just a little more time to catch our breath regarding the super-historic elections just a week and a half ago. Many of us have become re-inspired to keep up on current events at all levels as a consequence. And, some of us are more aware, and maybe even a little irritated, about the encroachment of Christmas decorations earlier and earlier into the calendar year. We wonder the real motives for the early Christmas décor, along with the pre-Black Friday sales. Some might suggest consumerism and greed are at the root of these changing cultural trends.

In the wake of observing both All Saints and All Souls Days, we continue to observe honoring all the faithful departed this, and each November. Part of our local observance will be using the Book of the Dead along with the Prayer of Saint Gertrude the Great. In late October, I heard of the Vatican Office of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith putting out a document reminding us about acceptable Catholic practices when tending to our faithful departed. Rather than reprinting the entire article, I thought this summary by Gretchen Filz was quite helpful.