It's November already. I can’t believe how quickly this year is going by. Life is like that though. I’ve heard before “the days are long but the years are short.” That rings so true for me right now. I’m exhausted at the end of every long day but amazed at how fast time flies by.

In this month of November, the Church celebrates in a special way those who have died. We start the month with the Solemnity of All Saints Day, when we honor and celebrate all who the Church deems to have attained heaven.

The day after is The Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed or All Souls Day, when we remember all the faithful departed, especially those believed to still be in purgatory, awaiting the joy of heaven. I’m so grateful to all of you who participate in praying for souls at our Masses of Remembrance (within our family of parishes) and the teams who will make the Masses such beautiful celebrations.

The rest of the month, as the liturgical year comes to an end, you’ll notice that the readings have a focus on our mortality. The phrase “Memento Mori”, meaning “remember your death” is a phrase of encouragement to live our lives with the end in mind. As Christians, if we profess to desire heaven, we have to live each day with heaven as our goal. Our every word and action should glorify and point others towards God. Through Jesus Christ, we have the hope of heaven, but heaven is not guaranteed for any of us. Jesus, in the gospels, continuously advises the disciples to observe what the Pharisees and scribes say but not to act as they do. Several times, we hear the expression, “For they preach but they do not practice.” This is a warning from Christ to the disciples, but also to us. We need to live our lives with heaven in mind and when we fall short, seek God’s forgiveness in the Sacrament of Reconciliation.

Take time this month to visit the graves of your loved ones, come to Mass and offer prayers for the repose of their souls and seek habits that help you to live for heaven.