Memento Mori

I do believe this is my favorite time of the year.  Next to Christmas.  And Lent.  And Easter. Probably somewhere between Christmas and Lent, even though it is technically between Easter and Christmas.

I've always loved fall.  I love the sights and the sounds and the smells.  I love waiting for the first frost, and especially for the first snowfall.  I love piles of leaves (not that we ever have any around here, since the wind just blows them all away, but I love them all the same.)  I love the sweaters and sweatshirts and hats and gloves.  I like watching my brothers getting excited for deer season, and I love planning for Thanksgiving.

And I love the liturgical side to November.  "Memento Mori" is the motto - Remember Death.  This focus starts today, October 31st, with the vigils of All Saints and All Souls.  It's a stacked vigil, because of the stacked feasts.  My family hasn't done the whole "Hallow'een" thing in about 21 years (to the day.)  I remember the last time I went Trick-or-Treating, though I was only 5 at the time.  It was the year of the great Halloween Blizzard, and somehow my mother got my (clown?) costume over my snowsuit.  I remember waiting to cross the street with my dad, standing in snow up to my waist.  I wasn't very big at the age of five.
But after we moved to a new neighborhood and we started homeschooling, Hallow'een was out, and All Saints Day parties were in.  I never minded it.  There were plenty of saints to choose from.  The two who stand out are St. Therese of Lisieux, who I got to be great friends with through my dressing up and later choose as my confirmation saint, and St. Brandon, who was always fun because we got to use Daddy or Grandpa's old Navy uniforms.  Not exactly a genuine period costume, but it worked.  Most of our Saints Day parties included at least two or three other big families, a pot of chili, some doughnuts, and the rosary.  Wonderful times.  One family hosted the best party - they had games.  I wish I could remember the details.  They did the dart game, and cherry tree, and a few others, all aptly named and decorated to portray a saint - or their death.  I seem to remember stoning St. Stephen….

But I'm getting a bit off track.  Back to Memento Mori.  That simple phrase does appeal to my dark side.  Remember death.  And we are reminded of our own mortality these next few weeks leading up to the last Sunday before Advent starts.  It's so fitting here in the midwest, the way nature is dying away, preparing for the long sleep of winter.  In times past I imagine these signs of the season were even more poignant, as we were so much closer to the land.  In the liturgy, we are reminded of the four last things: Death, Judgement, Heaven, and Hell.  We are also reminded that Christ conquered death.  We see the connection of the Church Militant (us,) the Church Suffering (the souls in purgatory,) and the Church Triumphant (the souls in Heaven.) Especially the first two days of the month, All Saints Day and All Souls Day, we are reminded to pray for those who have gone before us, and to ask their intercession.  Did you know that you can ask the intercession of the souls in purgatory?  Their prayers in their suffering are very powerful, and they are destined for Heaven.

One of my favorite practices in November is to stop at the cemeteries and say a prayer for the souls.  There are indulgences, both plenary and partial, attached to this act. It is an especially enjoyable thing to do after dark, while the people passing by wonder what mischief you are getting into.  I don't know why, but there is just something about having strangers suspect the worst about you when you are really doing something quite good.  Within reason, of course. Usually when we stop we pray:
 5 Apostles Creed
1 Hail Holy Queen
1 Our Father
1 Hail Mary
1 Glory Be 
1 Requiem (Eternal rest grant unto them O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. May they rest in Peace. Amen.)

Or we pray the prayer of St. Gertrude:

Eternal Father, I offer Thee the Most Precious Blood of Thy Divine Son, Jesus, in union with the masses said throughout the world today, for all the holy souls in purgatory, for sinners everywhere, for sinners in the universal church, those in my own home and within my family. Amen.

For more information on the indulgences granted for the souls in purgatory this month, check out this article: 
http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/activities/view.cfm?id=1178

I have two bits of recommended reading.  The first, for study, is "Read Me or Rue It," by Fr. Paul O'Sullivan.  It is a short booklet, and is available for reading online here.
The second is just for fun.  It is the Father Baptist series by William Biersach, starting with "The Endless Knot."  If you throughly enjoy all the creepiness of this time of year, you will enjoy his books.  And you might just learn something about the Catholic faith while you are at it.  The series on Amazon or on Tumblar House Publishing's website, http://www.tumblarhouse.com/.

Memento Mori!
Rae