No one is Forgotten
“Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them.
May their souls, and the souls of all the faithful departed,
through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen."
Today, November 2, we celebrate All Souls Day, a day to pray for all those who have died. It is one of the most hopeful days of the year, because we remember that our loved ones who have gone before us are still part of our family. We believe that our prayers can help them, and that we will see them again one day in heaven. Since the earliest days of the Church, Christians have prayed for the dead. Around 1000 AD, Saint Odilo, who was the abbot of the Monastery of Cluny in France, established November 2 as a day for his monks to pray for the departed, and the tradition rapidly spread across Europe.
Every culture adds its own unique customs. Mexican families celebrate Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) and build ofrendas (altars) filled with photos of loved ones, skulls, and candles. Bright orange marigolds are believed to help guide the spirits home with their color and scent. In the Philippines, families visit the graves of their relatives, they clean the tombs, light candles, and offer flowers. In Poland, family members light candles and place them in colored glass jars, and lay flowers on the graves. In Italy, children receive small gifts and sweets said to be left by their deceased relatives, and in Ireland, lighted candles are placed in windows. Regardless of the custom, these traditions help children feel connected to grandparents and great-grandparents they never met.
It can be uncomfortable to talk about death with children, but doing something concrete will help them understand a bit better. For example, you can:
Make a remembrance table with photos of grandparents, relatives, or friends who have died
Visit a cemetery, bring flowers to decorate the graves, and pray for the dead
Pray the Eternal Rest prayer (above) each day at dinner or before bed
Have a Mass offered for a deceased family member
Light a candle and place it in the window
At St. Michael’s School, we invite our students and staff to bring pictures of loved ones who have died and place them in the prayer corner in their classroom during the month of November. We know that our loved ones are looking down on us from heaven and helping us in this world before we are again reunited one day. Let us return the gesture by praying for and remembering them most specially this day, because in God’s family, no one is ever forgotten.
Deo Gratias, Kathy
