BIG C CATHOLICS

Two and 1/2  days left to earn indulgences for the faithful departed in Purgatory: A partial indulgence can be obtained by devoutly visiting a cemetery and praying for the departed, even if the prayer is only mental. One may obtain a plenary indulgence by visiting a cemetery each day between November 1st - 8th. You may pray for a friend or loved one who has died. You may also offer prayers for those forgotten souls with no one to remember them. We can be sure that there is no such thing as a superfluous or useless prayer. No prayer is lost. No sacrifice wasted. God in his goodness will put our prayers, petitions and worship to the most efficacious end. Also... Every time you attend the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass: ◗ Piously hearing Mass affords souls in Purgatory the greatest relief. ◗ You shorten your Purgatory by every Mass. The poor souls, upon attaining Heaven, will intercede on your behalf.

November is when Holy Mother Church prays especially for the faithful departed who are in Purgatory (the Church Suffering). Below are various links on the state of purification that is Purgatory, beginning with a reflection by Father James Kubicki, " The Process of Purgatory ", in which he quotes Pope Benedict XVI. (What follows is a transcript of the video): November begins with the Feast of All Saints and is followed by the Feast of All Souls on which we remember all those who have died and are in Purgatory, but the whole month is dedicated to prayer for them. ... As we pray for those who have died, it’s important that we have a better understanding of this process that we have traditionally called Purgatory. It’s not a physical place, because when we die, we leave behind our physical bodies — which will one day be raised to new life with our souls at the end of the world. And it’s not something that can be measured in time. Pope Benedict’s second encyclical, on hope, (

Today the Church celebrates the optional memorial of St. Martin de Porres, who lived a life of fasting, prayer and penance as a Dominican lay brother. He was born in Peru of a Spanish knight and a Negro woman from Panama. Martin inherited the features and dark complexion of his mother, and for that reason his father eventually threw Martin out of the house. After a turn as a surgeon's apprentice, the young Martin joined the Dominicans as a laybrother and was put in charge of the infirmary of a friary in Lima. Soon he was caring for the sick of the city and the slaves brought to Peru from Africa, not to mention the animals with which he is often pictured. Martin had the gift of miracles; and although he had no formal training, he was often consulted on theological questions by great churchmen of his day. St. Rose of Lima and Bl. John Massias were among his close friends. He is unofficially called the patron of social justice. The Life of St. Martin de Porres St. Martin de Po

The straight forward but constantly misinterpreted doctrine that " Extra Ecclesiam nulla salus ": "Outside the Church there is no salvation", is the source of much confusion among many Catholics and non-Catholics alike. Does it condemn anyone not in communio sacris with the Church to damnation? To answer in the affirmative would place limits on God's grace and the salvific Incarnation and ministry of Jesus Christ. So, what exactly does this doctrine mean? The Catholic Church teaches that a person may be saved outside the visible boundaries of the Church, ( Lumen Gentium , sec. 19 ) provided the following conditions are met: A person who, through no fault of his own, is ignorant of the truth that Christ established the Catholic Church and desires all men to obtain salvation through it ( invincible ignorance ). A person lives according to the truth that he is capable of discerning. A person responds to the graces that he has been given. Or, re-formula

The Dormition of the Virgin  (detail), Giotto,  c. 1310. November is when we pray especially for the faithful departed. This funeral homily by Father Daren Zehnle (posted with permission) was delivered in September, 2008. Fr. Zehnle recounts the departed's life in Christ; reminding us that our earthly existence is merely a prelude to our ultimate calling — seeing God face to face in the Beatific Vision. Fr. Daren J. Zehnle, K.H.S. is a priest of the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois studying canon law at the Pontifical Gregorian University. His blog is  Servant and Steward . Dear brothers and sisters, May the Lord give you peace. It is with sorrow that we assemble this morning here in this church dedicated to the Annunciation to entrust N. into the “hand of God” (Wisdom 3:1). Yet, as we do so, we find comfort because it is the Lord’s hand into which we commend her. The Lord first stretched out his hand to her in the waters of baptism so many years ago. As the waters

Fr. Charles Irvin Senior Priest Diocese of Lansing The Beatitudes Sermon , Tissot, c. 1890. ( Click here for today’s readings ) They didn’t set out each day to change the world. They didn’t think of themselves as persons of power, people who could influence our culture and the powerful media elite or the shapers of public opinion. They didn’t want to do anything more than simply go to work, do their jobs, care for their families and maybe help a few other people besides. Most, if not all of them, would wince if anyone called them saints. Most if not all of them would rather be thought of as ordinary folks, people who just wanted to do their job and do it with caring concern for people other than themselves. So, then, what is holiness? And who are saints? Perhaps we need to change our mental pictures of who they are and how they behave. And perhaps, too, we should examine what we think God wants of us. These Beatitudes we just heard. Did we hear them or did we just list

Please remember the Holy Father Pope Francis' intentions in prayer through the month of November: General Intention : That we may be open to personal encounter and dialogue with all, even those whose convictions differ from our own. ***  Missionary Intention : That pastors of the Church, with profound love for their flocks, may accompany them and enliven their hope.