A feast day for all those who are in heaven

This will be the last issue prior to All Saints Day, so I want to talk about that holiday just a bit.
Nov. 1 is an important feast day.  Everyone who dies goes to heaven, hell or purgatory.  Not everyone who goes to heaven is declared a “saint” by the Catholic Church.  There is no real distinction between those declared saints and those who are saints because they are in heaven.  All Saints Day is the feast day for all of those who are in heaven.  
This is an important feast day for a couple of reasons.  First, I think it is an important feast day because it is a powerful reminder to those of us still living in this “valley of tears” will one day die and our goal is heaven.  We can get bogged down in so many other goals that are comparatively short-term.  The simple reality is this:  one day each of us will die and we will ultimately end up in heaven or hell (purgatory is a final preparation for heaven and is only temporary).  All Saints Day should remind us that we will in fact live with God eternally, which is what He made us for.  Or, we will live eternally separated from Him.  There is no third option.
The second reason I think that this holiday is important is that it serves as a powerful reminder that we are not alone.  There is One Church, but that Church exists in three distinct manners.  First, there is the Church we see.  Those of us who live here and are striving toward intimacy with Christ.  We are called the Church Militant because we continue to struggle toward him.  Those in heaven and the Church triumphant.  They have conquered the ancient serpent and have received the reward. They are known as the Church Triumphant.  Finally, there is the Church Suffering.  These are those who have died in God’s friendship, but are in need of continued purification.  
Rejoice that there are many saints praying for you and that we are mystically in union with them, while at the same time remembering to pray for those souls in purgatory. Please know that we can gain a plenary indulgence for souls in purgatory on Nov 1 or 2. There are multiple places online where you can find the general requirements for gaining an indulgence as well as how to gain this specific indulgence.  
 — Pat Arensberg is the Director of the Office for Evangelization and Family Life. Email him at [email protected] 
For more information concerning the events of this office, visit us at mobilefaithformation.org