Communion of Saints “After this I had a vision of a great multitude, which no one could count, from every nation, race, people, and tongue.” (Rev 7:9) 


On these first days of November, we celebrate two feasts—All Saints and All Souls—which draw us into one of the most consoling doctrines of the Roman Catholic faith, the communion of saints. Our tradition has learned to speak of three “states of the church”: pilgrimage, purification, and glory. We (roughly two billion) baptized Christians currently alive on planet Earth trek on in the state of pilgrimage. Those who have died in the grace of God are either in the state of glory (united fully with God in heaven) or are moving through a process of purification (continuing their pilgrimage, in a sense) toward the state of glory. 

As we celebrate the Eucharist this weekend, we begin by calling upon that glorious church in heaven naming the many women and men who the church has canonized, that is, put their names in the canon of the church for all to imitate for their heroic virtues of holiness. May each one of us continue to call upon and imitate the saint of our preference and may we all as a church continue to call upon the saint of all saints: Jesus Christ! As we celebrate the Eucharist Monday night, we will also call upon the purifying church naming the names of those sisters and brothers from our parish who died this year, and who are in communion with the saints in heaven and with us here on earth. May they rest in peace! And so it is that we, as the pilgrim church call upon the triumphant and purifying church and all together continue to walk towards the Risen Lord Jesus Christ! 


Este mes de Noviembre celebramos el día de todos los santos y de todos los fieles difuntos, lo que nos recuerda la doctrina consoladora de la fe católica que es la comunión de los santos. La iglesia existe en tres estados: peregrinante, purificante y triunfadora lo cual quiere decir que los que estamos vivos peregrinamos hacia el cielo, los muertos están acabándose de purificar para llegar a ese cielo y los que ya están purificados de todo pecado están triunfando en el cielo Al celebrar la Eucaristía este domingo invocaremos la parte de la iglesia triunfadora al cantar los nombres de aquellos hombres y mujeres que la iglesia ha canonizado y puesto como ejemplos de virtud. Cualquiera que sea su santo preferido invóquele hoy y todos como iglesia invoquemos al santo de los santos que es Jesucristo. El lunes entonces completaremos invocando los nombres de aquellos que han muerto y están purificándose para llegar al cielo. Que descansen en paz! La iglesia en sus tres estados existe para seguir viviendo y creyendo en el Reino de Dios que es perfeccionado en el Señor Jesucristo cabeza de la iglesia. 

Fr. Raul