Dear friends in Christ,

Welcome to Emmaus Journey. In honor of All Saints and All Souls’ Days, this month’s column will focused on the topics relating to the saints & Heaven & Hell.

Have you or anyone you know ever experienced the death of a loved one? Has this experience caused you to think in a deeper way about the meaning of death and life-after-death? As for me, this year, I have had to say a few "goodbyes" to several people whom I know and are dear to me. One of them is a young friend from my old college who had just started out his career as a doctor. At his funeral, I felt really sad and disappointed that my friend died at such a young age. It seemed like when I am faced with the death of someone I personally know, my first emotions were usually those of regret, sadness & disappointment. I guess it has to do with our human tendency of not wanting to loose something that we hold dear. It was not until later on in the mourning process that I allowed myself to view death through eyes of faith. These incidents lead me to really think about the Catholic Church’s teachings on such matters.

From my previous learning & reading of books on the teachings & practices of the Catholic Church, I understood that when a person dies, he or she does not cease to exist or lose his identity, his soul or spirit remains immortal. Because of this, when your loved one dies, his death does not break the bonds between the two of you. You can still truly be in communion with the deceased in your thoughts and in your prayer. This concept is called the doctrine of the "communion of saints." This means that we don’t have to face our hardship alone, nor to walk alone on our journey here on earth; our loved ones who have passed away and the saints in heaven are actively supporting us, cheering us on in our struggles through their unceasing prayers. What’s more, their love and prayers are with us not just while we’re here on earth, but also when we die, when we’re in purgatory and finally, when we’re in heaven with God.

Dear friends, can you sense the powerful Christian solidarity that we all share with each other, those of us on earth, those departed and those in heaven? Isn’t it most comforting to know that death does not separate us from one another, but it actually unites us through the bond of prayers. It is through eyes of faith that I can see the light of hope in a saddest event such as death of a loved one. It is through eyes of faith that I understand the power of Christian unity.

May you always remain in God’s embrace through the intercessions of the saints in heaven.

 *smile, the saints are praying for you!

IN HONOR OF SAINTS

In ancient time, the members of the Church were known as saints, since they have been spiritually cleansed by the waters of baptism and were engaged in the quest for holiness. The Church was confident that Christ was at work in all the baptized, and that their union with Him would not be dissolved by death. Thus, the practical faith of Christians regarding saints is a living out of the church’s understanding of itself as a communion of saints.

Exemplary members of this community are known as "saints" in a stricter meaning of the term - men and women in whom God’s grace has been successful, and who serve as models of the Christian life. Only God can make saints, but it is the business of the Church to recognize and authenticate them, so that their example and teaching may be of greater benefit to others on their journey of faith. The process of canonization in the Catholic Church is long and complex. It normally requires extensive research and testimony about the beliefs, teaching, and life of the person in question. Miracles (except in the case of martyrs) are required so that the authentication itself may come ultimately from God.

In the traditional language, this fellowship of the faithful includes the church triumphant (saints in heaven), the church militant (pilgrim church on earth), and the church suffering (those in purgatory). This doctrine is reaffirmed by the Second Vatican Council: "For all who belong to Christ, having His Spirit, from one church and cleave together in Him (see Ephesians 4:16). Therefore, the union of the wayfarers with the brethren who have gone to sleep in the peace of Christ is not in the least interrupted. On the contrary, according to the perennial faith of the church, it is strengthened through the exchanging of spiritual goods" (Dogmatic Constitution on the Church, 49).

Probably the most popular tradition associated with the veneration of saints is the practice of praying to them, asking them to intercede with God for a special favor. Christians feel more at home with the intercessors who are like themselves. This practice, however, does not deny the mediation role of Jesus Christ.

The Second Vatican Council both endorses and clarifies this tradition: "For after they have been received into their heavenly home and are present to the Lord (2 Corinthians 5:8), through Him, with Him, and in Him, they do not cease to intercede with the Father for us. Rather they show forth the merits which they have won on earth through the one Mediator between God and humans, Christ Jesus (see 1 Timothy 2:5). There they served God in all things and filled up in their flesh whatever was lacking of the sufferings of Christ on behalf of His body which is the Church (see Colossians 1:24). Thus, by their interest our weakness is very greatly strengthened" (Dogmatic Constitution on the Church, 49).

In modern times, people began praying to particular saints who had gained a popular reputation of interceding for precise causes. St Ann, for example, became the patron of pregnant women, and St. Anthony the patron for the recovery of lost articles. 

During pre-Christian times, it was common for pagans to celebrate rituals related to their dead at the end of harvest in late fall. These customs very possibly influenced Christians to do the same. The month of November has traditionally been dedicated to the theme of death and to those who have died. The month begins with the feast of All Saints on November 1, and the next day with the feast of All Souls.

The theme of death for November fits the natural atmosphere of the month in the northern hemisphere. The harvest is completed, a dying becomes evident throughout nature, cold weather and a hint of winter becomes more prevalent, and the dark of night becomes more pervasive.