November is that time when the Church reminds us we are only here on a visit. The readings at holy Mass encourage us to reflect on our mortality and prepare ourselves for the end of time. At the same time, in these final weeks of the liturgical year, we remember the dead and pray for their eternal rest and peace.

When I was a parish priest, I often hosted a gathering for parishioners during this time to address end-of-life matters such as preparing a will, establishing a power of attorney and planning a funeral. How sad and unsettling it can be when a loved one dies and none of this information is completed or, if it is completed, can’t be located. It is just as sad when the deceased person is a priest.

A few months ago, our priests gathered for a presbyteral council meeting. These meetings, as you know, enable us bishops to draw upon the wisdom and counsel of priests to address pertinent issues. They’re also just a wonderful opportunity to catch up with one another. Of course, we presume that we will see each other again.

But the morning after that meeting, I received a phone call. A 56-year-old pastor who had attended the presbyteral council meeting never woke up. He died in his sleep. This good and holy man, an extern priest who had been serving in the diocese for a few years, was in the process of moving to a new assignment. The packed boxes sat outside his room. Little did he know that God had other plans.

Obviously, when it comes to death, one knows not the day nor the hour. This priest’s death was sudden and unexpected. But the fact that there was no will or information regarding directives at his time of death made the situation even more difficult.

No one likes to think about death or the prospect of dying. As priests, we might have an even harder time addressing this inevitable reality given the busyness of our lives lived for others. Yet, if we do not take the time to address these final matters, it can cause problems not only for our family, but for our diocese or religious community as well.

In addition to taking time to complete essential information, it is helpful to include in this preparation a funeral planning sheet with selections of music, readings and a homilist. I know of one priest who has spent a good part of his priesthood coordinating the annual diocesan appeal; he is planning on having a collection taken at his funeral for the appeal. Some priests even write their own obituary. The point is that the more of these decisions are planned by the priest, the easier it will be for those left behind.

As we celebrate the harvest season these days, it is also an opportune time to harvest the excess of our possessions. Over time we can accumulate so much in the way of clothes, books and knickknacks that we cannot take with us. But physical stuff is not the only thing we accumulate. Emotional baggage can also weigh us down — wounds untreated, hurts from others that remain unforgiven. As we prepare to embrace a new liturgical year, it is important that we leave this excess and unnecessary baggage behind.

Finally, in our prayers we might want to become more intentional about praying for our deceased brothers and sisters. The necrology gives us a guide in this regard; however, we can also find time to make a list of those special people in our lives who have left an imprint on our hearts. May God grant them eternal rest and peace. Amen.

BISHOP DAVID J. BONNAR, editor of The Priest, is bishop of the Diocese of Youngstown.