Pray for The Souls Now Departed

So often, when someone passes away, we say things like “You’ll see them again in Heaven” or “You know they are looking down on you.” These are comforting thoughts. I’ve said these same things. My mother, my brother, my daughter and now my sister are no longer with us. In my mind, I see them all together again in Heaven.

There is great comfort in that thought. After my sister’s recent passing, I was reminded by our priest that the idea of dying and going straight to heaven isn’t a Catholic concept of death, although we often say things that might lead others to believe it is what we believe. Only Saints, upon their death, are rewarded with an afterlife in heaven. And not just those Saints that are recognized as Saints by declaration of the Church. There are saintly people we might never know, who God has called home to be with Him in heaven. So in a way, Grandma might just be in heaven. It’s possible. What Catholics believe is twofold. With very few exceptions, most of us die with smudges of sin on our souls. Perhaps, if you truly confess everything and then get struck by lightening as you exit the confessional, you are completely washed of sin. Yes, Christ died for the forgiveness of sin. We are washed clean in His sacrifice on the corss. But in order to be cleansed of sin, we need to acknowledge what we have done, ask for His forgiveness, and receive His pardon. At that moment of forgiveness, we are clean.

Oh, but here is the catch. We will sin again. Hopefully not the same sins as before, but we’ll come up with a new way to offend our Heavenly Father. God knows this. It is why He gave us the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Priests cannot absolve us of our sins. That’s not the point of Reconciliation. The priest is a stand-in if you will for Jesus. He speaks the words we might know in our hearts already, that we are forgiven, but still need to hear aloud in order to heal from sin. Again, priests DO NOT forgive sin, that comes from God alone. A priest simply verbalizes that forgiveness which comes from God.

All Souls’ Day is a day of prayer and petition for those who have departed before us that are not yet asleep. We pray for those faithful souls in Purgatory. Purgatory is not a place of punishment, like a less sever Hell, but a place of purification before entering the All Holy Presence of God. It is a part of our Catechism, our teaching, our belief. While I do not know this for a fact, I would venture to guess that even Saints have gone through this purification. The difference between Saints and the rest of us is that they go to heaven, and we sleep in peace until the final days.

All who die in God’s grace and friendship, but still imperfectly purified, are indeed assured of their eternal salvation; but after death they undergo purification, so as to achieve the holiness necessary to enter the joy of heaven. The Church gives the name Purgatory to this final purification of the elect.
Catechism of the Catholic Church 1030-1031

Catholics pray for our departed, since they themselves can no longer receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation. We are their voices asking for forgiveness. God hears all prayers. And He is forgiving, even after death.

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Today is All Souls Day. It is a day to reflect on family who are no longer with us here on earth, to remember them. Part of remembering is to gather together and to partake in a meal that is reminiscent of those we once shared. For me, a good many family meals revolved around fried chicken. And biscuits and all those things that make a meal special. Enjoy and may the Peace of the Lord be with you.

Spicy Honey Buttermilk Fried Chicken
8 bone-in Chicken Thighs
Salt to taste
Black Pepper to taste
2 cups Flour
1 teaspoon Salt
1/4 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
2 teaspoons Dry Mustard
1-1/2 teaspoon Garlic Powder
1 tablespoon Sweet Paprika
2 tablespoons Hot Smoked Paprika, divided
2 cups Buttermilk
2 cups Vegetable Oil
Hot Sauce to taste
1/2 cup Honey

Place a wire rack inside a rimmed baking pan, set aside. Generously season chicken with salt and pepper, place thighs on paper towels and set aside.

In a gallon zip-lock bag add flour, salt, cayenne pepper, dry mustard, garlic powder and 1 tablespoons each sweet and hot smoked paprikas. Shake bag, set aside.

Pour buttermilk into a pie tin. Whisk in remaining tablespoon of hot smoked paprika, set aside.

Working with 2 pieces of chicken at a time, place in the bag of seasoned flour. Shake to coat chicken, remove pieces, shaking off excess flour. Set aside, repeat with remaining chicken.

Dip floured chicken, two pieces at a time, into the buttermilk, allowing excess buttermilk to drip pack into the pan. Place the buttermilk dipped thighs on the prepared wire rack. Let excess buttermilk drip from the chicken for about 10 minutes.

Again, working with 2 thighs at a time, return the chicken to the seasoned flour, shake to coat. Shake off excess flour. Lay chicken one more on the wire rack.

Cover thighs with plastic wrap, then foil. Place in the refrigerator for about 6 hours.

Heat oven to 300 degrees. Place a clean wire rack inside a clean rimmed baking pan. Place in the oven to warm.

Heat oil in a deep sided cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Lower chicken into the hot oil 4 pieces at a time so as to not over-crowd the pan. Fry chicken for about 6 minutes or so per side. Drain chicken on paper towels, transfer to the rack in the oven. Repeat until all the chicken is fried.

Let chicken remain in the oven for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, in a microwave safe bowl, add hot sauce to honey. Gently warm in the microwave for about 30 seconds. Remove chicken from the oven, arrange on a serving platter. Drizzle with honey and serve.

Great with Southern Biscuits and Corn on the Cob. If desired, make fried chicken biscuit sandwiches – delicious!

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Though I walk in the valley of darkness, I fear no evil, for You are with me