The parish Book of the Dead, as well as our names scrolls, are prominently displayed by the baptismal font to illustrate the connection between the lives of our loved ones and their baptism in the Catholic-Christian faith. In this month of remembering we honor all those who have died, and pray especially for those who need forgiveness for their sins and who yearn to see the face of God.
The scriptures for the end of the liturgical year are of an Eschatological nature. Eschatology refers to death, judgment and eternal life, “the end things” and
the end of time.
Praying for our dead reminds us of our own mortality and how we can be prepared for God’s Kingdom by living lives of truth, justice and charity, now, in this earthly kingdom.
As faithful Christians we face the end times, not with fear, but with confident hope that Christ will come again to rule over the earth.
During November, wherever possible, we will evoke the Saints to be with us, especially as we gather to begin our worship together, by singing the Litany of the Saints. This ancient litany, or mantra, is a prayer form which begins with a call for mercy upon God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost, in the "Kyrie eleison", "Christe eleison", “Kyrie eleison" and continues by evoking those who might intercede for us; the Saints. The simplicity of the repetitive response enables us to truly pray from our hearts.
As Advent approaches and the darkness of the night grows longer, we long for the Light of the World, Christ our Light, to scatter the darkness and bring peace to our lives. (November 7, 2004)