Bishop’s Note
Here we are at the beginning of another month. October, like May, always seems a little busier than most months, as we have daily devotions in honor of Our Lady. It is one of the best ways to spend one’s time though, so it is well worth the effort. We are often told in the lives of the saints of how souls would gladly come back to earth just to say well one Hail Mary. They understood how much merit is gained by this prayer, and therefore how much it can increase one’s glory in heaven. How much more does one Rosary, well said, do the same! Always honor Our Lady. Always say your Rosary, and sprinkle your day with lots of Hail Marys!
The Forty Hours Devotion went really well, didn’t it?! Your devotion to Mary’s Son in the Blessed Sacrament is very edifying. I know how much sacrifice you make to attend the ceremonies and Holy Hours. May God reward you for every single one of them! The ending of Forty Hours is always bittersweet. After all, such moments with Our Lord are very powerful and greatly influence our spiritual life. Now that it is over we should not forget that Jesus remains daily in the tabernacle, waiting for visitors upon whom to shower His graces.
Today, we honor the saints in Heaven; tomorrow, we pray for the Holy Souls in Purgatory. Nine Masses are scheduled, plus the last of the October Devotions. So there are plenty of opportunities to help our dear friends in Purgatory. Some of them are so close to being admitted to the Beatific Vision, and some are so far away from it; some have no family on earth to pray for them; some have no family on earth who still believes in Purgatory and therefore have no one to pray for them. Wouldn’t it be amazing to find out in heaven that you were the one whose individual prayer or sacrifice was the one that cut the last thread holding back a soul in Purgatory?! It might very well be the case. One extra Mass, one extra Hail Mary, one little sacrifice, might be all it takes for one of those Holy Souls. Do at least a little extra for them on their day!
On Wednesday the school children are going to St. Stephen’s Cemetery, where Bishop Dolan and Fr. Cekada are buried, for their yearly Rosary Procession for the Poor Souls. You can join them if you wish. We will have our parish Cemetery Rosary Procession later this month, on November 22nd.
Bishop Nkamuke is coming to town for a little vacation. I am glad he feels at home enough here to spend his time off with us. There are a lot of good developments in the Nigerian missions. I will share with you some of the writings that I received from the Fathers, and I am sure His Excellency will tell us all about it too!
Today, I am sure that each of the saints in heaven is offering prayers for us. May each one of you one day join the ranks of God’s saints!
– Bishop McGuire