Why November is the month to recall the Four Last Things

The month of November has always been a time of the year to reflect on the Four Last Things: death, judgement, Heaven, and Hell.

It may not be a topic we would want to meditate on, but it is a topic that the Church repeatedly brings to mind during this traditionally dark and gloomy month. Many priests will begin to preach on this topic in the month of November, dedicating each Sunday to one of the Four Last Things.

Why did the Church choose November as a month to focus on such a theological theme? Here are a few reasons why the Catholic Church chose November for this topic.

In the Northern Hemisphere, November is a time of the year when many people watch as trees lose their leaves, and when many plants die due to the lack of sunlight. It is a time when the natural world "dies" and lays dormant until spring.

November begins with the feast of All Saints and the commemoration of All Souls, starting the month out with a very obvious reflection on death and our final destination. These celebrations often continue throughout the rest of the month with various "All Saints" day feasts for various religious orders.

An indulgence, applicable only to the souls in Purgatory, is granted to the faithful who devoutly visit a cemetery and pray for the departed in November. The indulgence is plenary each day from the 1st to the 8th of November; on other days of the year it is partial. Death is continually brought-up in the mind of Catholics.

The Roman Catholic liturgical year ends in November after the Solemnity of Christ the King. The year ends immediately before the beginning of Advent, which ushers in a new liturgical year.

For these reasons, November is a perfect time to recall the Four Last Things.