Word to the Wise
Monday, November 2, 2015 - Nov. 2 - The Commemoration of all the Faithful Departed (All Souls)
[[3 options]; [13 options]; [12 options],1291]"And this is the will of the one who sent me, that I should not lose anything of what he gave me, but that I should riase it on the last day. For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in him may have eternal life and I shall raise him on the last day." [John]
NOVEMBER 2 COMMEMORATION OF ALL THE FAITHFUL DEPARTED
[Wisdom 3:1-9; Romans 6:3-9; John 6:37-40. There are many scriptural options for this day. I have selected these.]
At one time, and perhaps even now, one would hear about the relationship between the Feast of All Saints (Nov. 1) and the Feast of All Souls (Nov. 2) that the former meant only those who were canonized (and dead) and publicly recognized by the Church as "saints," and the latter was meant for all the rest of us who had died and most likely to be in "purgatory." Historically, the two feasts developed separately from one another, but by putting them together on the calendar, it was inevitable that a connection would be made of some sort. It is not a connection that I find helpful.
All Souls is about our relationship to our brothers and sisters who have died. It is about our "loss" and their "gain." When I was a pastor in San Antonio, I marveled at the celebration of All Souls (El Dia de los Muertos) Day. The cemeteries would be filled with flowers and families would come to spend the day and have a picnic at the tomb of a beloved family member. If the deceased were a child, a favorite toy might be featured. Sometimes a grandfather's favorite beer or tequila might be poured a bit on the ground and consumed too by participants. A favorite food might be eaten. It was not a denial of death but a celebration of relationship that death could not break. If they need further preparation in the eyes of God (who alone can make that judgment), which we call "purgatory," our prayers are meant to encourage them and help them, but our relationship remains in living memory, so they are still "with us."
Even if we personally knew someone who became a "canonized saint," we could still visit their tomb on All Souls Day. It is our relationship to them that is celebrated. Distance makes it very hard for me to get to the cemetery where my parents are buried, but on All Souls Day I can still remember them with gratitude and pray for their peaceful rest in God. As the familiar prayer puts it, "May their souls and all the souls of the faithful departed rest in peace." AMEN
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