Allocutio at November 2015 Concilium Meeting by Fr. Bede McGregor OP
The Mystical Body of Christ and the Souls in Purgatory
**************************************
The opening lines of the prayer for the beatification of the Servant of God Frank Duff, our founder, go as follows: ‘God Our Father, You inspired your servant Frank Duff with a profound insight into the mystery of the Church, the Body of Christ, and the place of Mary, the Mother of Jesus in this Mystery.’
There can be no doubt that the doctrine of the Mystical Body of Christ along with the role of Mary in this mystery is the basic key to understanding the inner life of Frank Duff. In fact, without the doctrine there would be a very deep wound in the heart and spirit of the Legion. In truth, I think you could say that without this doctrine understood, loved, and lived the Legion would make no sense at all. Indeed, one of the greatest gifts that the Legion offers to every legionary and praesidium is a profound and very practical experience of what it means to be a member of the Body of Christ and child and intimate friend of Mary the Mother of the Mystical Body of Christ.
But what does it mean to be a member of the Body of Christ? It means that we are virtually united to Christ and we are virtually united to each other in Christ. We are interdependent on each other and in spiritual solidarity with each other in Christ. We belong to each other in the deepest bonds of life itself. We belong to Christ and everything in Christ belongs to us because He is our head and we his Body. He is the vine and we are the branches. The implications of this membership are infinite. We have intimate access to everything that Christ, who is God has to offer mankind through the merits of his death and Resurrection.
The month of November is a special opportunity for becoming more aware of all the members of the Mystical Body of Christ and to interact with them all. First of all we celebrated the feast of all the Saints, canonized or non-canonized and rejoiced in their support and companionship and continue throughout the year to remember how close they are to us, closer than the parts of the body are to each other. The Communion of Saints is one of the most beautiful and grace-filled truths of our faith and perhaps we should ask ourselves if we give the saints their proper place in our life of prayer. They are such precious friends that God has given us in and through the Church, his Body. Brother Duff had a special devotion to the saints and on their feast days he prayed to them throughout that day before each new task he undertook because he saw them as his special friends and God-given support.
Next we think of the Holy Souls in Purgatory. We seek to reconnect with them for they are precious members of the Body of Christ and therefore very close to us indeed. The Scriptures tell us that it is a holy and wholesome thought to pray for the dead and we legionaries take this exhortation very seriously. I think it would be a good thing to read, discuss and internalise the whole of chapter seventeen in the Handbook ‘On the Souls of our Departed Legionaries’ during the month of November. They don’t cease to be legionaries after their death. As we know, the holy souls in Purgatory can no longer help themselves since the time for meriting is over for them. But we are still their brothers and sisters in the Legion and can certainly help them. This is why the Handbook spells out the many ways we can help them especially by offering the Holy Mass on their behalf and saying all the Legion prayers, particularly the Rosary for them. It is one of the greatest consolations of membership of the Legion that after our death there will always be literally be millions of fellow-legionaries praying for us every day and especially in the month of November. In the concluding prayers of every meeting of the Legion we pray: ‘May the souls of our departed legionaries and the souls of all the faithful departed through the mercy of God rest in peace. Amen.’ Our departed legionaries are treasured members are members of the Mystical Body of Christ and very valuable members of the Legion. While they cannot help themselves they can certainly help us who are still on the journey through time and on earth.
Of course, when they enter Heaven they will be an even greater source of care and help for the Legion throughout the world. Bro Duff, our Founder used to say that when he gets to heaven he won’t be hanging around doing nothing. In other words he won’t lose his love and interest in his fellow-legionaries when he is in heaven. He will give us preferential treatment when we ask his intercession in times of need and in all our difficulties in all parts of the Legion world. He is still the animating and dynamic inspiration and guide to all of us.
In conclusion let me recall what so many of the saints have taught us and whose names and teaching are found in the Handbook, namely, Mary is the Queen of Purgatory and we as legionaries are called to share in her maternal love of the Holy Souls. Devotion to the Holy Souls is an important part of our Legion spirituality and apostolate. We belong to each other as members of the Mystical Body of Christ and the Legion of Mary. Amen.
********************************
