1. Remember the Dead
Like any battle, we remember those who have fallen before us. We truly are in a cosmic war that has been won by Christ even as we continue to battle in our daily lives. God is the God of the living and we know that the dead still live in him. Yet, as we die in the difficulty of battle, there are many loose ends and battle wounds that need healing and purification before we can be fully in peace. Purgatory constitutes a great gift of mercy in enabling a final preparation for those who have been saved so that they can see God face to face with nothing from the past holding them back.
Join the end of our All Souls novena as we continue to remember the dead and commend them to God’s mercy.
2. Build Stronger Christian Culture
The Maccabees fought for freedom to worship God. They wanted to follow the Law and embrace the entire fabric of God’s plan for their life as a people. We have to remember why God gave us the gift of freedom. We are not meant to live in isolation or autonomy. Our lives our meant to be a gift that binds us in communion with others.
As we overturn the idols of our neo-pagan culture, we have to use our freedom to live according to God’s plan for our happiness. How can you pass on the gift of freedom to other men, to your family, and through your work? We can build a stronger Christian culture by living the faith as a shared way of life in our local community. Your fraternity forms a spiritual core together with your parish and family for ordering your life to God and the service of others. Keep building even after we end this Battles of Autumn exercise.
3. Celebrate Martinmas Day
St. Martin of Tours’s feastday was a medeival Thanksgiving day. It marks a turning point from Fall into Advent, which is coming quickly. Some Christians would even begin a fast in preparation for Christmas the day after this feast. Even though we have a national Thanksgiving day approaching in the US, we can gather as a fraternity or as families to celebrate this day to give thanks to God for his many blessings. We can also thank him for the gift of peace as the day coincides with Veterans Day, a happy coincidence as Martin himself served in the Roman Army.
