of Mother Anna Maria Cánopi

As Ordinary Time comes to an end and nature becomes more barren and bare day by day, the month of November opens with the contrast of the beautiful feast of All Saints: a blaze of light, song, joy; Heaven on earth.
On this solemnity the Church, a pilgrim in faith, contemplating the abundant harvests already gathered in the heavenly granaries, begins now to sing the joy of her arrival in her homeland: «Let us all rejoice in the Lord, celebrating this day of celebration in honor of all Saints: the angels rejoice with us and praise the Son of God." With this antiphon the Eucharistic Celebration opens, during which, so to speak, a passionate dialogue is established between earth and heaven, between the saints who are still pilgrims in the faith and the saints already in their homeland, between the "saints of the beatitudes" ( cf. Gospel of the solemnity) and the saints of the "immense multitude, of every nation, race, people, language" who loudly raises the grandiose song of salvation, the echo of which is heard in the first reading (cf. Rev 7) .
There is no separation between one and the other, but sharing; not distance, but affectionate closeness. The saints already in our homeland are present to us in our tribulations and we, "saints on the journey", rejoice with them for the peace they enjoy and which already, by force of love, is poured into our hearts. With this solemnity the Church invites us, therefore, to a great family celebration, gathering all her children around the single table. In fact, who are the saints, if not the children of God grown to the "fullness of Christ" (cf. Eph 4,14:2)? They are our older brothers. Some of them, perhaps, were our traveling companions until yesterday; perhaps the warmth of their hand still persists in our hand, in our memory the sound of their voice... Among the saints there may be - indeed, there certainly are - also many who we call "our dead" and who, wisely, the Church tells us commemorates November 4nd, extending the celebration into two days, to underline the unity of the mystery. If death places us before a great, unfathomable mystery and it is right to feel a sense of fear and trembling before it; however, even greater is the reason for trust and hope that comes to us from the very words of Jesus, from his promises entrusted to the hearts of the apostles and, therefore, to the heart of the Church. There is a "mystery of piety" which consists in granting, even after death, to souls who are not completely purified but not obstinately closed to the love of God, a time - no one knows of what intensity or duration - "for obtain the holiness necessary to enter the joy of heaven" (cf. Catechism of the Catholic Church). Sins can be forgiven and atoned for through the suffering of the so-called Purgatory (see art. page XNUMX). This is why pity towards the deceased is so deeply felt among Christian people: it is consoling to know that their suffering can be alleviated and shortened by praying for them, offering alms, doing works of penance, above all by participating in the offering of the Eucharistic Sacrifice on their behalf. And it is precisely from this holy intent that the good custom of having masses celebrated in remembrance of the deceased at any time of the year arises, on the anniversary of their death or in other particular circumstances, even for thirty days in a row for the same soul (the so-called “Gregorian masses”).
The liturgy of the Commemoration of all the faithful departed - contrary to appearances, for example the use of the color purple - is entirely pervaded by a sense of spiritual joy. “Come, let us worship the King by whom all lives!” is the refrain of the invitational Psalm with which the Divine Office of this day opens, in which the Church proposes the psalms which, more than all, express the desire, trust and hope of being able to fully contemplate the face of God and of enjoy his peace and joy.
By identifying with those souls who are completing their purification in the crucible of desire and expectation, the Church in the sacred Liturgy makes us undertake a kind of journey through the mysterious regions of their spiritual "exile", so that, burning with their own thirst and by sharing their wait, we hasten the happy outcome of their time of purification. In this ascent to the light, along the straight path of hope, there is however - and it could not be otherwise - aspects that are difficult to accept: this is caused by the natural repugnance for death and the always painful experience of separation from loved ones, physical detachment which is however comforted by the most intense spiritual union through the prayer of suffrage. A caring mother towards her children even after their death, the Church has allowed that on 2 November every priest can celebrate three masses for the deceased. For their part, the faithful, in participating, can express particular intentions, increasingly widening the circle of charity. Furthermore, this is the truest way to effectively express the affection that has always united us with those who have entered eternal life. All the prayers of the three Masses are pervaded by sincere and profound tenderness for the souls of the deceased who are confidently entrusted to the hands of God: «Welcome our deceased into the glory of your kingdom», «Give them endless bliss», «Receive them in the arms of your mercy"... Not to mention, then, that pity towards the deceased also benefits the sanctification of the living and prepares us for our own death; for example, the collection of the first Mass makes us pray like this: "Confirm in us, O God, the blessed hope that together with our deceased brothers we will rise again in Christ to new life".
Not fear, therefore, must assail us when faced with the mystery of death, but an unlimited trust, since, if it is true that, being judged on love, we will all undoubtedly be found "scarce", it is also true that, by provident plan of God, human poverty is replaced by the Holy Church which with faith asks for her children: «May perpetual light shine on them, together with your saints, forever, O Lord, because you are good», quiapiù es. Here is the key to hope that opens the heart of God and gives us a foretaste of the consolation and joy of full communion with Him and with all the heavenly Jerusalem. n