Remembrances

Last Wednesday, I attended a service of prayer and song to remember "All Souls" Day. We remember all our loved ones who died within the past year. The service was set at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Rockport. It contained a photo-projected slideshow, chant-like singing and poetry reading. The congregation was invited to join in. It was a lovely evening of prayer.

I noted how strikingly it different from a Catholic service. We have a form and ritual that brings comfort and expected familiarity. We petition God to remember those who are alive in our and God's memory and to help us with our grieving. Above all, we are free to call upon the name of God to be with us and our loved ones.

Yesterday, I attended an ecumenical "Service of Remembrance and Hope" at the 2nd Congregational Church in Beverly. It brought together people from many faith traditions to collectively grieve with one another. The service was well done with a rite of lighting candles. It brought in much poetry and prose to remind us that the dead are alive to us in our memory. At the end of the service, tulip bulbs were distributed so worshiper can plant them in remembrance of one who died this past year.

The service was profoundly moving for the congregants. Most were friends and relatives of patients who died in the area hospice programs. The staff members led the service.

I was part of the choir that provided the music. We had two well-trained cantors to lead the singing. The setting sun provided reflective light for the service. Many people were reminded of the fragility of life. Very many shed tears because of the loss they continue to feel. It was a helpful way of grieving socially.

Again, I am thankful for our Catholic tradition. Our liturgy gives me comfort. The dead are always in our consciousness because we pray for them at Mass. I can never move away from our Mass as the source and completion of our worship. I wish more people could have the tradition that we have.

Reading scripture is fundamental to my prayer. Speaking about and learning from Jesus Christ is crucial to me. He is the one who makes sense of my questions of suffering and sorrow. I am proud of my faith.

I'm very glad for the services that were recently held and yet it makes me cherish my faith all the more. Christ is the alpha and omega and the source and summit. I'm glad that our liturgies encapsulate his essence well.