The Dead Have Their Day!

Happy Friday, the First Friday of November! And, Happy All Souls Day! The souls we are referring to are the souls of the Faithful Departed, our deceased family members, and all who have died. In the Apostles' Creed we say, "I believe in the holy, Catholic church, the Communion of Saints, and life everlasting. Amen. We believe that these souls are living in the "life to come," the after-life. Actually this life is the eternal life that will never be interrupted by death. This Communion of Saints which we mention in the Apostles Creed prayer connects us with all our family who have gone before us. We are not really alone, even if we are on a remote island not only God sees us, but we believe that the Angels and Saints see us and can help us. Have you seen the movie, "Coco"? It's about the Dia de Los Muertos celebrated in Spanish-speaking cultures in many parts of the world, including our neighbors South of the Border in Mexico. The film treats the Day of the Dead as a very important feast, and it depicts the after-life in a rather up-beat fashion. I do not want to describe it at length, because it is better to see it and enjoy it. It is a Pixar and Disney film, with engaging animation and a mystery being unraveled at the very end! For us of another culture, November 2 is a more somber day. From the joyful celebration of the Saints, we descend to the dead, those who may be in Purgatory, not ready yet to be fully in the presence of God. The Saints believed that it is a healthy custom for the soul to meditate on death, so we will live ready to die peacefully any time. In our palms we each have an "M" inscribed to remind us of "Memento Mori", remember your death. We all know that we could die at any moment from innumerable causes. If we paused once a day to look at those "M's" in our hands, and pray for a holy death, we would have less fear of judgement and the after life. A new book from Pauline Books & Media, is actually a prayer journal titled "Memento Mori" Remember Death. To get it, just dial their 800 number: 1-800-876-4463. My best regards for a beautiful month of November. May you have the chance to pray for the loved ones who have lef this life. I promise my prayers for all who read and meditate with this blog. God bless you!