My Dear Parish Family:

Saints and souls was the topic preached by us, Fr. Dan and myself, last weekend. We spoke about the importance of our soul and how immediately upon death our soul goes before Almighty God for judgment. This immediate judgment will bring us directly into heaven (when this happens we call them saints because that person has lived an extraordinary holy life) or to purgatory so that the soul may continue to be purified before going to Heaven or the soul is condemned to Hell. Purgatory is a real place and those who go there will one day go to Heaven, but after death we do not become angels (they are a different being than humans) and we do not become reincarnated or turn into some other kind of being.

God loves human beings very much. He made us body and soul in His own image and wants us to be with Him forever in Heaven. However, God desires us to ask for forgiveness while here on earth so that our souls will gain a favorable judgment immediately after death and at the end of time.

The Catholic Church allows for cremation, but the ashes must be buried. Every Catholic has the right to a proper Catholic burial which means a Funeral Mass and burial in a Catholic cemetery, although Catholics can be buried in any cemetery and a priest will come to bless the ground where a Catholic is about to be buried if the cemetery is not a Catholic cemetery. Ashes of family members should never be brought and left “at home!” In other words, ashes must be buried just like the body because our bodies (or ashes) will rise again on the final day of judgment and our body and soul will be joined together again to go to Heaven or Hell forever. Obviously, at the final judgment there will be no more purgatory.

Therefore, it is important to remember that we must ask for forgiveness while here on earth because once we die we cannot ask for forgiveness anymore. Yes, we can continue to be redeemed in purgatory for the sins we may still need God to forgive, but that is all in the hands of the Almighty. While we are here on earth is the time to ask for forgiveness not once we have died.

Death is never an easy topic, but the more we know about life eternal now the better life eternal will be for us. Your priests are ready and willing to answer any questions you may have now or at anytime.

This weekend we will continue our theme preaching by preaching about necessary preparation for death.

Until next week, may the souls of the faithful departed rest in peace. St. Benedict and Cardinal Cooke, Servant of God, pray for us!