December 2025: Remembering Those Who Have Gone Before Us

"Weekly Challenge" December 2025: Remembering Those Who Have Gone Before Us

Reflect
Week Beginning December 28, 2025 
Reflect
Christmas is not simply a holy day; it is a holy turning point. The birth of Jesus Christ is so monumental that time itself is divided in two parts. We count the years before and after his coming because nothing is ever the same once God enters this world as a child. Eternity steps into time, and time is forever reoriented toward the great gift of salvation.
The Church, in her maternal wisdom, does not confine Christmas to a single day. The mystery is too great and the love is too profound to be received in passing. We celebrate Christmas as an octave–eight sacred days–because an event of this magnitude demands lingering. When God becomes man, we do not glance and move on. We stay, we ponder, we adore.
We are invited to receive the light of Christ, to let that brilliance illuminate the dark corners of our lives, and to allow the wonder of the Incarnation to echo for eight amazing days. Each day of Christmas reveals another facet of the mystery: the glory of the newborn King, the courage of the martyrs, the tenderness of the Holy Family, the cost of discipleship, and the promise of redemption made to all of mankind. The octave teaches us that joy and suffering are not opposites in the Christian life. Rather, they are intertwined in the child who comes to save us by the cross he already embraces.
The octave of Christmas gives us time to reflect upon the Nativity of the Lord, the hallowed event that changes the history of humanity in the most unexpected of ways. When Joseph and Mary are first betrothed, they do not wish to spend their time as newlyweds traveling afar to complete a census designed to raise their taxes. They do not plan to embark on an arduous journey of over 90 miles on foot and donkey while expecting to deliver their first child. They do not seek to give birth among the animals in a stable, improvising with a manger for a crib. Yet it is God’s will for Jesus Christ to touch our lives in that most humble manner. The infinite becomes small as the Creator enters His creation. The Word becomes flesh not as a display of power, but rather in a demonstration of vulnerability. If we rush past this moment, we risk missing the very heart of the Gospel: that God draws near not to overwhelm us, but to rescue us from within our humanity. He shares in our fragility so that we can be saved by following his path toward glory.
The octave of Christmas gives us time to trust with the humility of the Holy Family that what we want right now is not as great as what God plans for our future. Jesus heals our wounded souls and shows us that no matter how broken we feel, there is hope for redemption. Through his ultimate sacrifice on the cross, he turns weakness into strength and poverty into abundance. He reveals that bumps in the road are actually milestones on our earthly journey toward eternal salvation.
The octave of Christmas gives us time to love. God sends us his only Son as an expression of His limitless love for us. Jesus teaches us how to love one another through his examples of forgiveness, charity, and service. Saint Teresa of Calcutta notes, “It is Christmas every time you let God love others through you.”
The octave of Christmas gives us time to recognize that united in Christ, we are always at home, and we are always with family. Joseph and Mary make their home with Jesus–despite challenging circumstances–wherever they dwell. Through Jesus Christ, God becomes one with us in our human family so that we can become one with Him in His divine family. Saint Josemaría Escrivá observes: “Jesus was born in a cave in Bethlehem because, Sacred Scripture tells us, ‘there was no room for them in the inn.’ I am not departing from theological truth when I say that Jesus is still looking for shelter in your heart.”
The octave of Christmas gives us time to celebrate the coming of Emmanuel, that God is indeed with us. Pope Benedict XVI reminds us that “In the stable at Bethlehem, Heaven and Earth meet.” We rejoice when things are going well. But when we are struggling or otherwise afflicted, God remains with us. The Venerable Fulton Sheen advises: “How to find Christmas peace in a world of unrest? You cannot find peace on the outside but you can find peace on the inside, by letting God do to your soul what Mary let Him do to her body, namely, let Christ be formed in you.” In times of trouble and especially if you feel down this season, let go and let God.
Celebrating Christmas as an octave gives us time to allow this mystery to shape us slowly, reverently, and faithfully. It enables us to kneel again and again at the manger until we realize that we are the ones being born anew. Because God becomes man, no human life is ordinary, no suffering is forgotten, and no night is without the promise of dawn. In this world that consumes happiness quickly and discards it just as fast, the octave of Christmas becomes an act of holy resistance, a sacred refusal for us to rush. It proclaims that this moment matters; life is forever changed. God-with-us matters; He elevates everything. Human life matters; it is forever dignified. Hope enters our history and will not leave. Peace has a face, and that face belongs to Jesus Christ.
This Christmas, remain at the manger. Use these eight blessed days to reflect on how to live in this new era of mystery, of light, and of love. The Christ child is still speaking, calling us to wonder, to conversion, and to charity. Listen to him. Open your heart to Jesus. Allow him to work through you. One of the best birthday presents we can give him is our cooperation to carry out God’s plan. To the Holy One who gives up his life for us, we express our honor and gratitude by demonstrating our obedience and our love, with a repentant heart and an unselfish mind, through a compassionate attitude and a gentle spirit. Let us celebrate Christmas with love every day the Saint Teresa way. Merry Christmas!
Sacrifice
Week Beginning December 21, 2025 
Sacrifice
Offering sacrifices is a noble gesture that has a long history in a variety of cultures and religions as a way to help our deceased loved ones. By giving up something we value­–such as time, money, or even comfort–we demonstrate our faith through our sincere offering to God. Our sacrifices honor the memories of those who have passed away and provide peace to those still alive.
In the Catholic tradition, performing acts of devotion in accordance with specific conditions can yield the spiritual reward of indulgences. The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches us: “Through indulgences the faithful can obtain the remission of temporal punishment resulting from sin for themselves and also for the souls in Purgatory” (CCC 1498).
To acquire an indulgence, the Catholic faithful must first possess the necessary disposition of loving God, detesting sin, trusting in the merits of Christ, and believing firmly in the great assistance derived from the Communion of Saints. They must then perform the prescribed acts, which vary depending on the particular indulgence but typically consist of reciting prayers, reading scripture, accomplishing charitable works, adoring the Blessed Sacrament, or making a pilgrimage. Indulgences are also available on certain feast days, anniversaries, and jubilees. Other requirements include making a recent Confession, receiving the Holy Eucharist, praying for the Pope’s intentions, and prayerfully requesting the indulgence.
A plenary indulgence, which grants full remission of the temporal punishment, is obtained when the recipient meets all of the conditions while remaining completely detached from sin. Partial indulgences, which remit a portion of the temporal punishment, are gained when only part of the penance is completed or when the recipient is not in a pure state of grace. Even if we are not yet able to receive a full plenary indulgence, great value is obtained from seeking partial indulgences as we continue to pray for God’s help to perfect our disposition. Pope Saint Paul VI explains in his 1967 Indulgentiarum Doctrina:
“The aim pursued by ecclesiastical authority in granting indulgences is not only that of helping the faithful to expiate the punishment due sin but also that of urging them to perform works of piety, penitence and charity–particularly those which lead to growth in faith and which favor the common good. And if the faithful offer indulgences in suffrage for the dead, they cultivate charity in an excellent way and while raising their minds to heaven, they bring a wiser order into the things of this world.”
In addition to prayers and indulgences, we can “offer up” acts of self-denial, such as fasting or abstinence from something we enjoy. Additionally, we can offer all of our suffering, pain, frustrations, and inconveniences for the benefit of the holy souls in Purgatory.
Service can be a powerful source of solace and an on-going opportunity to create a living tribute for those who have gone before us. Consider volunteering in a capacity that may have benefitted your loved ones while they were on earth. Or, offer your talents to a cause they championed. Helping others helps us to shift the focus off of ourselves and to shine the light of Christ upon those who most need his blessings.
Providing physical or material assistance to those less fortunate than ourselves gives us an opportunity to correct injustices on behalf of our dearly departed who might not have been able to complete charitable acts prior to bodily death. We can make monetary gifts in the names of our loved ones, recognizing that “almsgiving saves from death, and purges all sin” (Tobit 12:9).
Another way to right injustices is to ask for forgiveness from those who have died that you may have wronged. Likewise, you can offer your forgiveness to those who have died that have offended you. This heartfelt exchange re-establishes peace in the universal order and promotes purification and enlightenment for you and the departed.
This week, consider how the habit of offering your trials and good works can aid the souls of others. During this final week of Advent, pick a small penance that you can sacrifice for the holy souls and possibly seek an indulgence for someone in Purgatory.
Rejoice
Week Beginning December 14, 2025 
Rejoice
Today, on the Third Sunday of Advent, we celebrate Gaudete Sunday. The Latin word gaudete means “rejoice.” Halfway through Advent, we rejoice in anticipation of the coming of the Lord. We await the birth of Jesus Christ, who transforms the winter of our souls into a springtime of new life. Rejoice, because soon we are all united in Christ. Rejoice, because the Lord gives us the grace to grieve our loss and heal our past. Rejoice, because God’s joy is deeper than our sorrow.
In the spirit of rejoicing, we take this week to appreciate all of the joy that our dearly departed bring into our lives. Take a moment to remember those who have gone before us. Share and treasure your memories of them with other loved ones. Swap stories, look at photograph albums, partake in their favorite traditions, and laugh together. Cook their favorite holiday recipe, sing their favorite Christmas carol, hang their favorite ornament on the tree, toast with their favorite drink, or snuggle in their favorite blanket. Display pictures of them enjoying past holidays with you. Carry a memento to remember that you are still connected in spirit.
Saint Basil the Great writes:
“At the hands of the righteous Judge, they who show like good deeds shall receive a like reward. We have not lost the lad; we have restored him to the Lender. His life is not destroyed; it is changed for the better. He whom we love is not hidden in the ground; he is received into heaven. Let us wait a little while, and we shall be once more with him. The time of our separation is not long, for in this life we are all like travelers on a journey, hastening on to the same shelter.”
This week, recall the lessons you learned while traveling on this journey with your loved ones. What do they teach you, both directly and indirectly? How can you use that knowledge to better yourself, your neighbors, the world, and the Kingdom of God? Think about their contributions to family, friends, and society. Is there something that you can continue to keep their memory alive? How is your life changed from knowing and loving them? Let your love inspire you to lead a good life, continue on their path, and someday be able to hasten to that final shelter. And when you arrive, you can once again rejoice.
Please also note that tomorrow provides us with another reason to rejoice. Monday, December 15 is Reconciliation Monday in the Archdiocese of New York and the Diocese of Brooklyn. Confession is offered in most parishes from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. and from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. In a moment’s time, your life can be changed forever through an encounter with the Lord. Include a heartfelt confession in your Advent preparations, and experience the joy of forgiveness. Or, share the joy with a friend and take a loved one to receive the gift of reconciliation. “If we acknowledge our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive our sins and cleanse us from every wrongdoing” (1 John 1:9). Rejoice!
Pray
Week Beginning December 7, 2025 
Pray
One of the best ways to stay connected to those who have gone before us is through prayer. Although it is possible to die fully perfected in God’s grace, let us address how we can continue to help those who die in an imperfect state of purification.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church notes that “From the beginning the Church has honored the memory of the dead and offered prayers in suffrage for them” (CCC 1032). It teaches us that Purgatory is a way for holy souls to undergo the final cleansing fires of purification before entering heaven as glorious saints (CCC 1030-1031). Although the exact details remain a mystery, we are assured that Purgatory is different than the punishment of the damned (CCC 1031). Saint John Vianney notes, “The fire of Purgatory is the same as the fire of hell; the difference between them is that the fire of Purgatory is not everlasting.” Saint Thomas Aquinas attributes Pope Saint Gregory the Great as saying, “Even as in the same fire gold glistens and straw smokes, so in the same fire the sinner burns and the elect is cleansed.”
By this, we understand the major distinction between Purgatory and hell is that the souls in Purgatory die in friendship with God. Through God’s love, they are not punished but instead are elevated for everlasting union with Him. They are no longer at risk to suffer the permanent separation from God that takes place in hell. Pope Benedict XVI elaborates:
“Purgatory basically means that God can put the pieces back together again. That He can cleanse us in such a way that we are able to be with Him and can stand there in the fullness of life. Purgatory strips off from one person what is unbearable and from another the inability to bear certain things, so that in each of them a pure heart is revealed, and we can see that we all belong together in one enormous symphony of being.”
As the purification of the holy souls is perfected, their longing to unite eternally with God deepens. Saint Thomas Aquinas explains:
“The more one longs for a thing, the more painful does deprivation of it become. And because after this life, the desire for God, the Supreme Good, is intense in the souls of the just (because this impetus toward him is not hampered by the weight of the body, and that time of enjoyment of the Perfect Good would have come) had there been no obstacle; the soul suffers enormously from the delay.”
While the elect souls endure their purification, they rely upon our prayers and offerings to expedite their atonement and provide consolation for their suffering (CCC 1032). Saint Faustina Kowalska describes:
“I saw my guardian angel, who ordered me to follow him. In a moment I was in a misty place full of fire in which there was a great crowd of suffering souls. They were praying fervently, but to no avail, for themselves; only we can come to their aid. The flames, which were burning them, did not touch me at all. My guardian angel did not leave me for an instant. I asked these souls what their greatest suffering was. They answered me in one voice that their greatest torment was longing for God.”
When we help the souls of the dead by offering our prayers and sacrifices, they help us. Saint Alphonsus Liguori informs us:
“The practice of recommending to God the souls in Purgatory, that He may mitigate the great pains which they suffer, and that He may soon bring them to His glory, is most pleasing to the Lord and most profitable to us. For these blessed souls are His eternal spouses, and most grateful are they to those who obtain their deliverance from prison, or even a mitigation of their torments. When, therefore, they arrive in heaven, they will be sure to remember all who have prayed for them.”
All of the souls in heaven can intercede for us when we petition them through prayer. We can ask for intercessory prayers on behalf of our dearly departed from saints already canonized by the Church and therefore known to be in heaven and able to help.
We may not know precisely when our loved ones enter heaven. If they are already in heaven, we can offer prayers alternatively for those souls who remain in Purgatory. Certainly, the help proffered and the miracles extended by the deceased are divine signs of their heavenly state. Saint Jerome observes: “If the Apostles and Martyrs, while still in the body, can pray for others, at a time when they must still be anxious for themselves, how much more after their crowns, victories, and triumphs are won!”
Saint Paul suggests that we invoke the Holy Spirit to teach us how to pray, “for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but the Spirit itself intercedes…” (Romans 8:26). Our prayers for the dead can be as simple as: “may the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace” or as detailed as praying the entire Office for the Dead. Be sure to pray earnestly from a heart filled with love.
The Holy Mass, which transcends time and unites heaven and earth, is the highest form of prayer. Offering Masses for the holy souls and attending Masses for them are particularly powerful acts. Saint Augustine recalls that his mother, Saint Monica, urges him: “One thing only I ask you, that you remember me at the altar of the Lord.”
When you participate in Mass interiorly, you can offer your own personal sacrifice and intention for the dead. The Eucharist is the source and summit of the Christian life. The Catechism of the Catholic Church instructs us that the Eucharist augments our union with Christ and with the deceased:
“When the celebration takes place in church the Eucharist is the heart of the Paschal reality of Christian death. In the Eucharist, the Church expresses her efficacious communion with the departed: offering to the Father in the Holy Spirit the sacrifice of the death and resurrection of Christ, she asks to purify his child of his sins and their consequences, and to admit him to the Paschal fullness of the table of the Kingdom. It is by the Eucharist thus celebrated that the community of the faithful, especially the family of the deceased, learn to live in communion with the one who ‘has fallen asleep in the Lord,’ by communicating in the Body of Christ of which he is a living member and, then, by praying for him and with him” (CCC 1689).
Praying in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament during adoration is another way to make our intentions known before Jesus Christ, our great intercessor.
“Let us not hesitate to help those who have died and to offer our prayers for them,” suggests Saint John Chrysostom. This week, make an effort to pray for the dead. Spread the devotion to the holy souls by letting others know about their need for our support. In addition to the suggestions listed above, consider praying for the intention of the holy souls when you light a candle, visit the cemetery, or pray the Rosary, Rosary for the Holy Souls, Divine Mercy Chaplet, Chaplet of the Holy Souls, Novena for the Holy Souls, Requiem Aeternam, or Saint Gertrude’s Prayer. Know that any prayer can be said for the benefit of our loved ones and all of the holy souls. This link provides Prayers for Death and Dying recommended by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. 
Saint Gertrude’s Prayer
Eternal Father,
I offer You the most Precious Blood of Your Divine Son, Jesus,
in union with the Masses said throughout the world today,
for all the Holy Souls in Purgatory,
for all sinners everywhere,
for sinners in the universal Church,
those in my own home and within my family.
Amen.
November 2025
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