The Holy Catholic Church celebrates the Commemoration of All Souls. Every Catholic man can grow in happiness by building the Virtue of Gratitude so he can give God thanks for the gift of Purgatory and by growing in the Virtue of Charity so he can continuously seek Indulgences for the souls of the faithfully departed.
Liturgy
Commemoration of All Souls – November 2 -Jn 6:37-40
Commentary
As He cryptically reveals the mysterious reality of the Eucharist in The Sermon of the Bread of Life, Jesus drops a bombshell, revealing that He, Himself, is the Bread of Life, and that men who believe in Him will receive eternal life.
Jesus confirms that men must have faith in Him to receive eternal life and promises that those who believe in Him will be raised from death to eternal life. Jesus reveals that God the Father gives some men to Him and that He will not lose a soul the Father has given to Him. Jesus confirms it is the Father’s will that men who believe in Jesus will have eternal life, and that He will raise them from the dead on the Last Day.
Building on revelation from the Old Testament (2 Mac 12:42–46), the Catholic Church has always taught that men on earth (the Church Militant) who pray for the dead in Purgatory (the Church Suffering/Penitent) can hasten their journey through the purification of their sinfulness to Heaven (the Church Triumphant). While Catholic men pray for the dead in every Mass, All Souls Day offers the special indulgence, so that men on earth can grow in holiness by praying, doing good works and offering the Mass for those of the faithful departed who require additional cleansing of venial sins or atonement for past sins. An indulgence, meaning, “a kind remission”, is the partial or full remission for the temporal punishment for sins God has forgiven, and may be granted to Catholic men on earth for souls still being purified in Purgatory.
Be awed by Jesus Christ
Be stunned by how God the Father has endowed the Son of God to build the Kingdom of God: Son of the Father, a Divine Person, Jesus perfectly knows the infinite Will of God the Father; Jesus, who appears to be a mere man, has Dominion and Power over everything and everyone; He perfectly knows who believes in Him and has the Power to raise believers to eternal life with glorified bodies.
Give thanks to God for Purgatory
Realize: In His Mercy, God allows all who believe in Jesus, repent and are forgiven of mortal sins in the Sacrament of Penance, to eventually enter Heaven, even those who have committed heinous acts; Purgatory (from the Latin, purgatorium, meaning, “purging, cleansing”) is a state of final purification of human imperfection after death to prepare a soul free of mortal sin to enter the joy of Heaven.
Believe: Reflect upon Purgatory (CCC 1030-1032, 1054) and the Punishments of Sin (CCC 1472-1473).
Pray: Holy Spirit, Cleansing Fire, help me build the Virtue of Gratitude (a part of Justice) so I frequently give thanks that You have blessed all Catholics who die in a state of grace with the opportunity to be perfectly cleansed in Purgatory and be eventually received into Heaven.
Continuously seek indulgences for the faithfully departed
Realize: The Solemnity of All Souls is a beautiful time to intercede for the faithfully departed by attending Mass and making special prayers, and by receiving Indulgences by visiting grave sites in cemeteries; Indulgences give men a chance to help their departed loved ones if they remain in Purgatory in preparation for their entrance into Heaven.
Believe: Reflect upon Praying for the Faithful Departed (CCC 1371, 1479, 1689-1690) and the great blessing of Indulgences (CCC 1471-1479, 1498).
Pray: All the Saints, pray that I grow in the Virtue of Charity so I vigorously seek many indulgences throughout the year to speed the cleansing of my loved ones and many others in Purgatory.