The ghoulies, ghosties, and
spooky noises have disappeared for another year, although many houses still have
a pile of candy either left over or gained by family trick-or-treaters.
Yesterday was the first day of
November, the official beginning of the new church year and usually listed as
All Saints’ Day. This year, churches will celebrate tomorrow as All Saints, as
it is celebrated traditionally as a major feast day on the Sunday closest to
the calendar date.
Today we celebrate All Souls, a
commemoration that usually follows All Saints but which this year is between
the actual date of All Saints and the celebrated feast in the church. It is not
celebrated as lavishly as All Saints, except in cultures that mark el Dia de Los
Muertos, a Mexican and Central-American fiesta unrelated to Halloween. Families
decorate the tombs of their loved ones, and often spend an entire night at the
gravesites, eating and drinking and remembering the ones who have gone before
them. Flowers are abundant and painted caricatures of skeletons and skulls
decorate family altars and even shops. It is truly a feast of the dead rather than
a fun holiday where children can dress up and ask for candy at neighborhood
houses. Many other predominantly Roman Catholic countries decorate the family
graves and spend time in prayer and remembrance, sometimes feasting and sharing
with their loved ones.
For the Episcopal and some other churches,
All Souls is a celebration of the small-s saints, those who have died in
the faith but not canonized by the church and given a commemoration day of
their own. All Saints belongs to the Big-S Saints like Francis, Catherine
(the multitude of them), Augustine, Hildegarde, and others who we know by name.
All Souls belongs to the ordinary people; the faithful departed who might not
have done significant miracles but who were present in the lives of those who
knew and loved them. They are the mothers, fathers, family members, beloved
friends, inspiring teachers and leaders, and heroes who do thousands of small
miracles every day, often unrecognized.
Beginning perhaps a week or so
before All Souls, churches ask people to submit names of their departed,
especially those who have died in the past year. The individual submissions are
combined to form a list that rests on the altar until it is read aloud during
the prayers at a mass held on November 2nd.
All Souls is an important day in
my calendar. I have so many people on my
list that it would take several minutes just to read them. There are my birth father, adoptive father and
brother, lots of aunts and uncles both related and honorary, and neighbors and
friends who have loved me and helped me at various points in my life. Some were
friends only for a few years, while others remained friends for decades. There
are some people inspired me in so many ways, and some who supported me through
difficult times. All of them feel very close to me on this day, and although I
am not able to cry, the tears are just below the surface simply because I miss them
so much.
One particular saint was my adoptive
mother. She and the family took me in when I was about five months old and made
me part of that family. She was a two-time
breast cancer survivor who died when I was fourteen, a time when it felt like I
could do with a mother even if I didn’t recognize it at the time. Many of my
saints were women who filled her shoes from time to time, making sure I had
what I needed, whether clothes, advice, a place to visit when I got lonely, and
more than occasionally put an extra potato in the pot for dinner just for
me.
I miss Mama more the
older I get. Knowing she and I had suffered the same disease made me miss having her
advice and experiences so that it wouldn’t be so frightening. Luckily I had a
friend who filled in, going to the doctor and surgeon with me and even taking
me to the hospital and picking me up after my surgery. Another friend took me
to some medical tests and stayed until I was ready for a ride home. Those two
have been priceless. Fortunately, one of
them I can still rely on; whatever I need, she seems to be able to supply.
When I visit back home, I always
manage to visit the cemetery where many of my family lie. I wish I could visit that
cemetery today, but it’s on the East Coast, over 2,300 miles away, so I will
have to content myself with looking at their graves from a distance on Google. Still, in my heart and mind, they will be
with me today as they are whenever I think of them and probably many times when
I don’t consciously have them in mind.
I love it that my church has a
commemoration where my saints can be remembered, even by those who never knew
them, merely by hearing their names read on a list. I appreciate that I can
join with others in remembering their saints along with mine, making our
community stronger and more connected. Not all denominations have such a
remembrance, but since I have found it, I have gained comfort and a designated
time to celebrate all of them together. The night of All Souls becomes a thin
space, a veil between the world of the living and the dead which is almost able
to be penetrated so that the two worlds can join together. It’s a precious and priceless feeling, one I wouldn’t
trade for anything.
Who are your saints? If you haven’t made a list already, sit for a
few moments and write them down. Then remember why they are your saints and
thank them for their gifts to you, and thank God for having put them in your
life at just the right times. It won’t
be a wasted few moments, I assure you.
May the souls of all the faithful
departed rest in peace, rise in glory, and remain with us in spirit until we
can join them in the glory of God and the heavenly kingdom. Amen.
God bless.
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