The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1921-12-31
The Twenty-fifth Sermon of the Series
Deals With the commemoration OF
! the Dead.

! !.
The Communion of Saints, which
the Church processes in her creed,
does not limit itself to the boundaries
OF this visible world. 1t embraces all
those who have lived and died in the
faith of Christ, whether they be in
heaven or pprgatory, as well as those
who are still on their journey towards
eternity. 1t unites all those in a bond
of love and mutual help. To those in
heaven, the Church sings her praises,
she looks up to them as models to
initiate and at the same time, directs
to them her supplications that they
who are in the immediate presence
of our heavenly Father may inter-
cede for those on earth. To the poor
souls" in purgatory, she extends her
unceasing charity, beseeching God by
prayers, good works and sacrifices, to-
hasten their release from suffering.
They died in the faith; yet the last
vestige of sin must be wiped away;
the last scars must be healed before
these souls can be admitted to their
eternal reward, as nothing defiled will
enter into heaven.
This belief in the Communion of
Saints underlies the prayers said in
the Commemoration of the Dead in
holy Mass. These prayers shall be
the subject of our instruction today
The liturgical commemoration for
the departed comes after the conse-
Grafton, whilst the living are remem-s
bered in the prayers of the canon be-
fore the conservation. Why this diff
ference? The living unite with the
priest in offering the sacrifice and
are therefore more fittingly prayed
for before the real accomplishment of
the sacrificial action at the consecra-
ton. The departed, on the contrary,
are no longer in state to unite with
the priest in offering the sacrifice,
but merely may be made partakers
of it's fruits, which he offers to God
for them. Hence, it is more proper
to remember them after the fruits of
the sacrifice have been made avail
able through the conservation.
With the words: Remember also,
o Lord, thy servants and landmarks
who have gone before us with the
sign of faith, and sleep the sleep of
peace" the priest remembers those
for whom prayers have been special
ly requested and others of his own
choice, and asks the crucifed Savior
to have mercy on them. Whilst do
ing this, he keeps his eyes on the
most holy Sacrament, Christ, who re-
newed the sacrifice of the cross upon
the altar. The priest asks God to re
member the faithful departed, not as
though he meant to convey that the
all-knowing God could forget them,
but to 1mpfore God to be mindful of
them in kind way, or to have mercy
on, them. To obtain the mercy OF
Almighty God, the Church calls her
suffering children in purgatory the
servants and landmarks Of God, y
emphasizes the fact that they left
the world signed with the sign OF
faith, the indelible mark of baptism
This recalls that they were admitted
to the Church and united with Christ
in the name of the Holy Trinity, and
that they became thus entitled to
share in the graces Christ has gain
ed for man on the cross. 1t recalls
that they lived and hoped and died
trusting that, although they may have
failed through human frailty, they
would meet Christ in eternity.
Sleep the sleep of peace" Ii
Holy Writ, death is frequently call
ed a sleep, and the dead are spoken
of as sleeping. because they rest from
the labors and fitful fever of life unit
dawns the day of the glorious resur
rection when their bodies will be
raised from the sleep of death. Thu
faithful departed are said to sleeI
1.-The sleep of peace" because they de
parted life in the peace of a con
science free from grievous sin, or il
the friendship and grace of God. ''Tt
these, o Lord, and to all the res
in Christ, grant. The Church for
gets none of her children who diet
in the faith Of Christ; therefore, aft
er the priest has offered prayer TO
the person for whom the Mass is spe
cially celebrated, for his parents
friends and benefactors, the Churcl
directs him to beg mercy for all TIL
souls in purgatory, beseeching God t
grant them place of refreshment
light and peace. Heaven, as oppose,
to purgatory, is here described as
place of refreshment, because it
free from all pain; as region @
light, because of the beatific vision Q
God granted the elect, because 9Th
. city hath no need of the sun nor c
the moon to shine upon it, for tn
glory of God ENLIGHTENMENT it, and tn
lamp thereof is the Lamb tApot
xxi, 23); as land of peace, or {
utmost tranquility, because the cleo
desiring nothing further, enjoy PEI
feet rest in the possession of the so,
ereign good, the beatific vision G
God
Above, the souls of purgatory wer
said to sleep the sleep of peace, .bt
cause free from the trials and trfbl
lations of life, they are certain t
come to heavenly glory, but becaus
they have not as yet attained this. a
IDENTIFY though they desire it. they d
not yet enjoy perfect peace which W
therefore implore from God for then
This prayer. for the dead NATURAL
suggests the thought of death, an
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