Memento Mori
I delight in the colours of the trees at this time of year. The many shades of green become subtle tones of yellow, orange, and brown. As we enter November, these are clear signs of decay and the start of death. Yet we might view autumn as a parable of grace. The dying leaf does not merely end — it blazes. It reaches its most striking beauty exactly at the point of letting go.
Leaves keep falling as nature uses the remainder of autumn to prepare for winter — a fitting natural symbol of death, which occupies Catholic minds during November. Creation itself becomes a teacher. The falling leaves, the darkening days, the settling cold — all whisper memento mori. Memento mori means ‘remember your death’ or ‘remember you must die,’ and this call has a long history in Catholicism. Saints have long praised the value of reflecting on death, and the Church has traditionally set aside this month to encourage that practice. During November, we are reminded of the unavoidable reality of death — the deaths of those already gone, and our own inevitable end at some future time. This reminder is not meant to depress or worry us, but to impress the importance of a lifetime’s gift, the duty to use that time well, and the wondrous reward awaiting the faithful soul in eternity.
Today, the first day of November, All Saints Day, the focus is on the Church Triumphant. We celebrate all the saints who have died and are in Heaven, beholding the face of Our Lord, inspiring and interceding for us. Tomorrow, All Souls Day, and throughout November, the focus shifts to the Church Suffering. We pray for the Holy Souls enduring a time of purification before entering Heaven. This Autumn offers a fitting moment to renew commitment to the sacraments — especially Reconciliation and the Eucharist — and to pray each day for the Holy Souls, many of whom may await that exact prayer from someone like you.
Consider visiting a cemetery this November to pray for the departed; this quiet act of charity is memento mori expressed openly. Who, among those you have loved and lost, comes to mind the most, when you think of praying for the Holy Souls? — and what prevents you from offering that prayer this week?
