Dear Parishioners,

At this time of year, in the Church’s liturgical cycle as well as the cycle of nature, we are invited to contemplate the mystery of death. While trees shed their leaves and the hours of night lengthen, the Church’s commemorations of All Saints, All Souls and the triumph of Christ the King, put before us the inevitable reality that life, as we know it now, will end. Throughout this journey of life, death is our unseen companion, and if we can learn to befriend, rather than fear it, when death finally comes in its fullness, we will be able to welcome it as a rebirth – a homecoming into heaven.

The philosopher John Moriarty describes me as “eternity living dangerously.” In other words, the eternal world and present world are not separated by some great divide but are interwoven and inseparable. Celtic spirituality has a profound appreciation for this belief. It is expressed in the intricate knots and weavings characteristic of Irish artwork. This belief is also evident in Celtic customs and rituals, some of which survive to this day, as for example, All Hallows’ Eve (Halloween) when, it is believed, that the veil between the seen and unseen worlds is so thin that the spirits from each can intermingle.

It can be a great comfort to believe that the dead are with us now albeit invisible. This is our belief in the Communion of Saints, a tenant of Catholicism that we proclaim each Sunday in the Profession of Faith.

We believe in the communion of all the faithful of Christ, those who are pilgrims on earth, the dead who are being purified and the blessed in heaven, all together forming one Church; and we believe that in this communion, the merciful love of God and his saints is always attentive to our prayers. (Catechism of the Catholic Church, # 962)

This belief in the Communion of Saints can soften our natural fear of the great mystery that is death because we ultimately know so little about this reality. None of us knows, for example, how, when or where we will die. Nor do we know if our death will be long, painful, lonely, soon or unexpected. The only certainty we have about death is its inevitability. I have always found one of the most sacred moments in priestly ministry is to be in the presence of who is in the process of dying. This is a me of transition as they make that final journey from this world to the next where a great multitude of angels, saints, and loved ones await their coming home. This is why from the earliest days of Christendom prayers have been offered for the dead – to assist them on their final journey but also to make intercession of them for us. Prayer is the glue that unites us all.

One of the time honored ways by which Christians have prayed for those who have died is by visiting their graves. Here again, we can trace this noble custom back to the early church where the tombs of Christians, especially the martyrs, were adorned with artistic engravings and symbols that evoked the notion of paradise and victory. As children we were taught the obligation of keeping the graves of our relatives and loved ones beautifully manicured and appropriately decorated for the liturgical seasons.

I fear that the value of this custom is not being instilled in our young people today. Because some our cemeteries are at a considerable distance from homes and parish churches, we can all too easily fall into the “out of sight, out of mind” syndrome. This is to our spiritual disadvantage for several reasons: it weakens the bonds of love we ought to have for the dead, and it lessens our own awareness of death that, one day, we will need to embrace. We might adopt some of the ethnic customs and rituals from other cultures such as the Mexican celebration of the Dia de los Muertos on November 2. On this day, family members not only visit the graves of their relatives, but actually host a meal there. In some mysterious fashion this graveside picnic is shared with those who lie beneath the earth anticipating the day when all be feast together at the banquet of heaven.

If we are unable to share a meal at the graves of deceased family and friends, we can at least make an effort to visit these hallowed places and reverently unite our prayers with theirs. I offer the following as possible texts that may be prayed at cemeteries in remembrance of the dead.

Eternal Rest

Eternal rest grant unto them O Lord. and let perpetual light shine upon them. May they rest in peace. And may their souls and all the souls of the faithful departed, Through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.

Prayer at the Graveside

Father in heaven, as we stand before the resting place of our beloved (name of person), we remember the gift they were and continue to be to each of us here present. We thank you for their life, the love they shared with us and we pray that they are with you now, enjoying the fullness of eternal life. Comfort us in our sadness, strengthen us with your hope, until we are united with them again in the love of Christ and we are with you and our loved one forever. Amen.

Prayer for those who have no one praying for them

O merciful God, take pity on those souls who have no particular friends and intercessors to recommend them to Thee, who, either through the negligence of those who are alive, or through length of me are forgotten by their friends and by all. Spare them, O Lord, and remember Thine own mercy, when others forget to appeal to it. Let not the souls which Thou hast created be parted from thee, their Creator. Amen.

Prayer for Departed Loved Ones

God our Father, Your power brings us to birth, your providence guides our lives, and by your command, we return to dust. Lord, those who die still live in your pressence, their lives change but do not end. I pray in hope for my family, relatives and friends, and for all the dead known to you alone. In company with Christ, who died and now lives, may they rejoice in your kingdom, where all our tears are wiped away. Unite us together again in one family, to sing your praise forever and ever. Amen.

Blessings,

Fr. Gabriel O.S.B.

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