Mercy Meditations

By Chris Sparks

Lord of the Rings is one of the most useful guides to the spiritual life out there, and one that's helpful to consider as we enter November, the month the Church dedicates to the Holy Souls in Purgatory.

Don’t believe me? Let’s take a look at one key act in the books, one of the greatest actions we can take in the spiritual life: rustling up some allies.

EDITOR'S NOTE: Here's one from our Archives, definitely worth reposting.

By Chris Sparks
We celebrate the Feast of All Saints on Nov. 1 every year. You could say we're cheating a little bit by having one day annually when we celebrate everybody - every last person who's in heaven, every last child of Mary who has accepted Jesus's offer of salvation and triumphed over the temptations of the world, the flesh, and the devil.

And the evening before, we celebrate the Vigil of All Saints, also known as All Hallows Eve - Halloween.

The following is an excerpt from the Marian Press book 52 Weeks with St. Faustina by Donna-Marie Cooper O’Boyle:

“Have great confidence; God is always our Father, even when He sends us trials.”

— Mother Directress to Sr. Faustina when undergoing a great trial (Diary, 24)