On the last Sunday after Pentecost, the Church reminds us of the end of all things, including our lives and the world itself. And when Christ says, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass.” And what are these words except those words of love that Christ spoke throughout His earthly life. And it is those words of love that hold forth the promise that after everything ends, there will be a new world and a new life in Christ.

The final Sunday of the liturgical cycle provides an opportunity to step back and reflect. For what is the liturgical year? It is God giving Himself to us in a multitude of ways. Each week–each feast–contains a special grace for the faithful. And so in reflecting on the liturgical year, our souls should be filled with gratitude and for that we give thanks.

In St. Paul’s epistle to the Philippians, he reminds the faithful that Our Lord is God while describing what holiness is. Moreover, while St. Paul details all the ways he followed the Law faithfully, he does not place his hope there. Rather, his hope is the same as ours ought to be: to acknowledge that Jesus Christ is God and that we may be united to Him in His passion and death.

Our Lord’s choice to teach through parables presents challenges for us as now as they did for those in His own day. This is not, as St. John Chrysostom instructs us, because Christ wanted to conceal His teachings. Rather, He invites our wonder through these parables to place us on the road to true conversion and understanding.

This time of the liturgical year, we should reflect on the virtues and the saints who exemplified them. There is Josaphat, the martyr from Ukraine who exemplified fortitude. And Lawrence, who tells us about the virtue of charity through his life and then Gertrude, who reminds us by her example how near she was to God. All of them are examples of true faith and piety.

As we come to the end of the liturgical year, our minds turn naturally to the end of all things. The passing away of this world inaugurates a new world that will never pass away. For at the close of time, the purpose of this world, which is to bring mankind to their salvation, will be finished and a new life with God begins.

The miracle of Christ walking upon the water to rescue Peter in the midst of a storm reminds us that even in the midst of great turmoil, Our Lord never abandons us. Even when we believe we are abandoned, God never departs from us.

How do we help the souls in purgatory? One very efficient way is to fulfill the will of God and accept the crosses we are given in life. And there are many crosses; but what we must ask ourselves is will we accept or deny them.

What Really Matters – SSPX Sermons

All Souls Day and the entire month of November provides an opportunity for Catholics to reflect on death, especially preparing for death. Contemporary culture sanitizes death by attempting to hide it. Why? Because the world fears death. But for Catholics who truly prepare for dying by remaining above all in a state of grace, death is nothing to fear.