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On All Saints Day we remember all the holy women and men, both canonized and unknown, who loved God and others extraordinarily in their ordinary circumstances.
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"We live in a society that may appear to have many outward freedoms, but we are far from achieving interior freedom."

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For full shownotes, visit Ascensionpress.com/Allthingscatholic, or text ALLTHINGSCATHOLIC to 33-777 for weekly shownotes sent to your inbox.

Support All Things Catholic with Dr. Edward Sri

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The world tells us “you be you,” but Jesus didn’t die so that I could just be “me”... he died so that I could become like him.

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This episode will leave you with an essential truth about the all consuming love of God, motivation to continue your own spiritual growth, and several spiritual practices to help you remember the dead.

Who Goes to Purgatory?
Sometimes Catholics think of purgatory as a place where bad Christians go for a supernatural “time out” before they can get into heaven. But, that’s not at all what the Church teaches. At its simplest level, we can understand the three states of the afterlife as this:
Heaven is for those who die loving God with “all their heart, all their soul, and all their strength” (Deuteronomy 6:4-5).
Hell is for those who die without loving God at all.
Purgatory is for those who die with divided hearts—they love God, but their hearts are also held captive by love of sin or attachments to this world.

*What Are the Fires of Purgatory Really All About? *
In 1 Corinthians 3:15, St. Paul says that some will be saved, but only through fire. Oftentimes, we view fire as dangerous and frightening, but the Bible uses fire as an image of God’s closeness. This is the type of fire that is associated with purgatory; it’s not fire of God’s wrath—it’s fire of God’s love.

Scripture provides us with several images where fire indicates the closeness and power of God’s presence:

Hebrews 12:28-29 – “Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe; for our God is a consuming fire.”

Exodus 3:1-3 – “Now Moses was keeping the flock of his father-in-law, Jethro, the priest of Mid'ian; and he led his flock to the west side of the wilderness, and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. And the angel of the LORD appeared to him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush; and he looked, and lo, the bush was burning, yet it was not consumed. And Moses said, “I will turn aside and see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt.”

Exodus 13:21-22 – “The LORD preceded them, in the daytime by means of a column of cloud to show them the way, and at night by means of a column of fire* to give them light. Thus they could travel both day and night. Neither the column of cloud by day nor the column of fire by night ever left its place in front of the people.”

Acts 2:3-5 “And there appeared to them tongues as of fire, distributed and resting on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.”

St. John of the Cross on the Fires of Purgatory
St. John of the Cross provides us with a beautiful analogy of a heart in love with God as a log in the midst of a burning flame. The flame consumes the log, and the log begins to burn from within. St. John of the Cross explains that this is what happens when a soul is consumed by God’s love—flames of love leap up through the soul itself

But what happens when God draws close to souls who have many imperfections and weaknesses? Those souls experience the flame of God’s love in a way that is painful or afflictive. It’s similar to a damp log placed into a fire—it resists the fire, causing it to take longer for it to catch and burn.

So what difference does the doctrine of purgatory make in our lives today?
The doctrine of purgatory reminds us that in order for us to enter into heaven, our hearts must be fully in love with God and detached from all sin. So, let’s not wait for purgatory to begin this purification of our hearts and souls. Let’s root out sin in our hearts and try to love God with all our hearts here on earth.

This doctrine calls us to remember the dead. We must not assume that our relatives and loved ones are in heaven, and thus neglect to pray for their souls. In her final words to her son, St. Augustine, St. Monics begs him to pray for her after she dies. If such a holy woman asked for continued graces through prayer after her death, we shouldn’t assume anyone is in heaven unless they are canonized by the Church.

*How do we pray for the dead? *
Write a list of names and pray daily for each soul
Offer up a rosary, a decade, or even just a Hail Mary for those souls.
Pray for those holy souls in purgatory who don’t have anyone to pray for them by name.
Offer communion for all holy souls in purgatory

Visit a local cemetery and pray for the dead

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Oftentimes we’re challenged by our protestant brothers and sisters with the question, “Why pray to saints when you can just pray to Jesus?” You’re not alone if you believe there’s a good answer to that question but struggle to explain it yourself.

As All Saints Day approaches, Dr. Edward Sri walks us through scripture passages wherein holy men and women from the Bible intercede before God for their communities.

This episode not only will leave you with a good apologetic answer to these questions, but—more importantly—will leave you with a renewed sense of appreciation for the cloud of witnesses who inspire us, intercede for us, and draw us deeper into communion with the blessed Trinity.

*Intercessory Prayer Is Scriptural *
The Bible shows us that the saints aren’t disconnected from and uninterested in those who are living.
*Old Testament: *
Jeremiah 15:1–Long after their deaths, Moses and Samuel are depicted pleading for the Israelite people on earth
*New Testament *
Revelation 8:3–The prayers of the saints rise up before God, and then God acts on earth.
John 15 – “I am the vine, and you are the branches.”
St. Paul – We are the “body of Christ.” It doesn’t make sense that death would rupture this bond.
Hebrews 12:1 The saints are a “cloud of witnesses”

*Intercession Is Not Optional for Christians *
Love of God and love of neighbor go hand in hand. The saints are our neighbors. They are our brothers and sisters in Jesus Christ. When we grow in fellowship with our fellow Christians, we grow in fellowship with Christ.
2 Corinthians 1:11–St. Paul commands the Christians in Corinth to pray for him.

1 Timothy 2:1–Timothy commands the Christians to pray for each other

*How to Grow in Fellowship with the Saints *

1. Pick a few saints that you want to get to know.
2. Read their writings and learn about their lives. Fill your mind with their stories and their example.
3. Talk to the saints, every day. Share your weaknesses with them and ask them to walk with you in your difficult times. Don’t just ask them to pray for you...invite them to be with you in every part of your life.

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Using the theology of St. Thérèse of Lisieux, Dr. Sri explains how this is the opposite of what God wants us to do. When we fail, instead of navel-gazing, we can recognize our littleness and let the Lord into our hearts by surrendering our shortcomings to him.

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Paradoxically, the real victory in the spiritual life comes from surrender. When you say, “Lord, I give this to you because I can’t do it on my own.”

SHOWNOTES

St. Thérèse of Lisieux, Letter 243 - “As soon as God sees us convinced of our own nothingness — He stretches out His hand to us; but if we wish to attempt great things, even under the pretext of zeal, He leaves us alone. It is sufficient therefore to humble oneself and to bear our imperfections meekly: that is true sanctity.”

2 Ways to Surrender

1. Morning offering prayer
2. O Jesus, through the Immaculate Heart of Mary, I offer You my prayers, works, joys and sufferings of this day for all the intentions of Your Sacred Heart, in union with the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass throughout the world, in reparation for my sins, for the intentions of all my relatives and friends, and in particular for the intentions of the Holy Father. Amen.

3. O my God! I offer Thee all my actions of this day for the intentions and for the glory of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. I desire to sanctify every beat of my heart, my every thought, my simplest works, by uniting them to Its infinite merits ; and I wish to make reparation for my sins by casting them into the furnace of Its Merciful Love.
   O my God! I ask Thee for myself and for those whom I hold dear, the grace to fulfill perfectly Thy Holy Will, to accept for love of Thee the joys and sorrows of this passing life, so that we may one day be united together in Heaven for all Eternity. Amen. (Offering Prayer by St. Thérèse of Lisieux)

4. Offer up your suffering.

5. Next time you face a trial or difficulty, use it as an opportunity to surrender your weakness to God. Say, “God, I give this to you.”

Resources
* Men, Women, and the Mystery of Love

• Story of a Soul

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Dr. Sri unpacks the biblical roots of the Hail Mary to help us truly understand the significance of this powerful prayer.

Snippet from the Show
“Every time we pray the Hail Mary, we enter into the ecstatic praise of heaven and earth. Heaven represented by Gabriel, earth represented by Elizabeth. We’re entering into their words of praise, which are in Scripture and are inspired by God.”

SHOWNOTES

“Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you … ”

Luke 1:26-28 - In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary. And he came to her and said, “Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with you!”

“ ... Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb … ”

Luke 1:39-45 - In those days Mary arose and went with haste into the hill country, to a city of Judah, and she entered the house of Zechari′ah and greeted Elizabeth. And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit* and she exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! And why is this granted me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For behold, when the voice of your greeting came to my ears, the babe in my womb leaped for joy. And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfilment of what was spoken to her from the Lord.”

• filled with the Holy Spirit - this language is used to describe someone who is given prophetic insight.

“ … Jesus … ”

Philippians 2:8-11 - And being found in human form he humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow*, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

• at the name of Jesus - there is immense power in the name of Jesus, and his name is at the very center of this prayer, making it literally a Christocentric prayer. St. John Paul II called it the “hinge” of the Hail Mary. He said, “The centre of gravity in the Hail Mary, the hinge as it were which joins its two parts, is the name of Jesus. Sometimes, in hurried recitation, this centre of gravity can be overlooked, and with it the connection to the mystery of Christ being contemplated. Yet it is precisely the emphasis given to the name of Jesus and to his mystery that is the sign of a meaningful and fruitful recitation of the Rosary.”

“ … Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death.”

Luke 1:8 - And Mary said, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.”*

• let it be to me - Mary’s Fiat, her yes to God, is exactly what we seek to emulate. This part of the Hail Mary is where we ask Our Lady to intercede for us, so that we may accept Jesus into our hearts as she did.

RESOURCES

• Rosarium Virginis Mariae, Apostolic letter of St. John Paul II
• Praying the Rosary Like Never Before by Dr. Edward Sri
• How to Pray Like Mary by Sonja Corbitt

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