Today is All
Souls’ Day, which has acquired various meanings. For a large part of the church, it is the finale
of the commemoration and remembrance of the faithful departed—from All Hallows
Eve and All Saints’ Day. Traditionally
in the Roman Catholic Church, it was the day of prayer for those in purgatory,
so that their stay and release from there would be expedited! In Mexico, today is the consummation of el Día de los Muertos (the Day of the
Dead). It is a joyful, festive
celebration honoring those who have passed on.
For many
centuries, the beginning of November has been associated with death, as the
leaves fall and the earth prepares for its slumber. But it is also a time of “thin places,” where
our realm and the realms beyond draw near.
It is a time for visitation between the earthly and the celestial. Thin places are not restricted to this time,
however. They can appear anywhere and
anytime.
I am reminded
of Dag Hammarskjöld’s meditation in Markings:
“Tomorrow we
shall meet,
Death and I—
And he shall
thrust his sword
Into one who
is wide awake.
But in the
meantime how grievous the memory
Of hours
frittered away.”
The passing
is not without its sadness, but all will be changed in the new creation in the
limitless love of God.
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