My Sisters and Brothers:
A
few years ago, and as an October ended and another November arrived, I
had the opportunity spend a week of vacation in the beautiful sea-side
city of Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. From the town, and looking out upon
the bay called the Bahía de Banderas, and further out to the Pacific Ocean, the view is very breathtaking! I very much enjoyed my time
there, mostly because I was able to spend a lot of time relaxing on the
beach, but also because I took advantage of the opportunity to explore
some of the local culture of the Mexican State of Jalisco in which the
town is located.
Mexican people, like those of other nationalities and
from other places of the world, are very proud of their culture, their
traditions, and their Catholic faith. Because of the time frame of my
visit to Puerto Vallarta, I had the fortune of being there when the
faithful were observing el Día de los Muertos (the Day of the
Dead).
On one of my tours that week, I had the opportunity to visit a
local cemetery and I saw how, with great reverence and faith, the people
had spent many, many hours cleaning and then adorning the graves of
their deceased loved ones with candles, flowers, balloons and even toys,
food and candies. Even though I was a stranger to that place, the show
of affection for those who had died, so very obvious there, moved me to
tears. There was no doubt to me those who were buried in that
cemetery were very much loved and missed greatly by their families and
friends.
What we do today, as we observe the Commemoration of All the
Faithful Departed, also known as All Souls Day, is rooted in the exact
same traditions and sentiments of those faithful people in Jalisco,
Mexico–like them, we wish to remember in prayer, and to show reverence
and to honor the memories of our deceased loved ones. We do this today
because we have loved them so much, and we continue to do so. Although
we always pray with fervent devotion that our deceased family members
and friends may be received into the loving arms of God, we do so in a
special way on this day, el Día de los Muertos.
Let us have
great hope for them, and hold on to the same confidence expressed in
first reading of today’s Mass: we believe “the souls of the just
are in the hands of God, and no torment shall touch them, and although
it seems, in the view of the foolish, that they are dead, and their
passing away thought an affliction and utter destruction, we know and
believe that they are in peace” (see Wisdom 3:1-3).
It’s quite
possible we may not have the opportunity to adorn the graves of our
deceased loved ones, as is done by our sisters and brothers in Jalisco,
Mexico, and in other places throughout the world, but we may still do
so within our hearts and through our prayers. And so, with devotion and
great love for those who have been very dear to us in this life, let
us pray and have confidence that “one day, we shall joyfully greet them
again, when the love of Christ, which conquers all things, destroys even
death itself” (from the Order of Christian Funerals).
Fidelium Animae Per Misericordiam Dei Requiescant In Pace.
May the Souls of the Faithful Departed, through the Mercy of God, Rest in Peace.
Praise God! Friar Timothy
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