‘For if we continue to love one another and to join in praising the Most Holy Trinity — all of us who are sons of God and form one family in Christ — we will be faithful to the deepest vocation of the Church.’ (CCC 959)

Prayers for the faithful departed are not just for All Souls’ Day or the month of November. The Sacred Scriptures (2 Maccabees 12:45) and the Church (CCC 958) remind Catholics of the importance of suffrages for the dead throughout the year.

One sometimes finds material to write about in the most unusual places. My inspiration today comes from the Nov. 5 parish bulletin of St. Joseph’s on Capitol Hill in Washington. Its pastor reproduced the contents of a holy card from Our Lady of Solitude Monastery in Arizona, which contained prayer suggestions for each day of the week. Read it here, with comments: