We are destined for heaven as all of the saints before us

With the month of November our Holy Mother Church reminds us to pray for all of the faithful departed of our families, our parishes, our diocese, as well as friends and neighbors whom Almighty God has called from this life. While November highlights this necessary spiritual work of mercy, it is something we should be doing every day.
 
This year All Saints Day falls on Saturday, Nov. 1 and All Souls Day falls on Sunday, Nov. 2. Since it is still Ordinary Time in our liturgical year, the Mass of All Souls will be celebrated on Sunday.
 
In fact, whenever we celebrate the feast of one or another saint or a group of saints, we are doing what the Church urges us to do in November. In the end, the month of November reminds us that what we profess as an article of our Catholic faith, our faith in the communion of saints, we profess with our lips and confess with our actions faith in the goodness, mercy and intent of Almighty God for each of us. God created us to live and die in His life and grace in order to live with Him for all eternity in heaven.
 
This is what each of us should desire for ourselves and others for whom we pray. This is what All Saints Day reminds us of, that we are destined for heaven as all of the saints before us and that they are praying and interceding for us before the Lord. This is what All Souls Day reminds us of, that those who have gone before us in faith and are in need of purification and must depend on our prayers, good works and sacrifices to assist them since they can no longer help themselves by these means as they did in their earthly lives.
 
These two wonderful feasts are as much for us who live our faith in the world as they are for the saints already in heaven and the holy souls in purgatory who await heaven with the same hope that sustained and motivated them in their earthly lives to be faithful to God and His Church. All Saints Day followed immediately by All Souls Day remind us that we are loved and have been created by God Who desires only that we return the gift of our lives to Him at that moment of death so that He can admit us to the eternal glory of heaven.
 
This is why November and, in fact, every day should be important to us. Our eternity is presented to us by Almighty God.