Time moves by too quickly, where has this year gone!! This week we begin winter time. November is a time to remember all our loved ones who have gone before us. Death is that challenging confrontation that reminds us “We are only here for a short time”. Death points us to mystery. A Christian proclamation, “Christ has died, Christ is risen, Christ will come again”. Here in Portlaoise Parish, over 100 funerals of parishioners, greatly loved and cherished, have taken place in 2019. A deep loss, we pray consolation for all bereaved.
As millions of children and adults participate in the fun of Halloween on Thursday, few will be aware of its ancient Celtic roots.
In Celtic Ireland about two millennia ago, Samhain was the point between the lighter (summer) and darker halves (winter) of the year. At Samhain, the gap between this and the other world was at its thinnest, allowing spirits to pass through. People’s ancestors were honoured and invited home, while harmful spirits were warded off. People wore costumes and masks to disguise themselves as spirits to avoid harm. Bonfires and food played a large part in the festivities. The bones of slaughtered livestock were cast into a communal blaze, household fires were extinguished and started again from the bonfire. Food was prepared for the living and the dead and was ritually shared with the less well-off.
Christianity incorporated honouring of the dead into the Christian calendar with All Saints (All Hallows) on 1st November, followed by All Souls on the following day. The wearing of costumes and masks to ward off harmful spirits has survived as Halloween customs. The Irish immigrated to America in great numbers during the 19th century, especially around the time of famine in Ireland during the 1840s. The Irish carried their Halloween traditions to America, where it is now one of the major holidays of the year. November is the time of year when we remember the souls of loved ones who have gone before us.
November is a difficult time of year. The beginning of winter brings long nights and cooler days. This can be a time of loneliness and anxiety, especially for those who live alone. In our Celtic tradition, we have a great sense of our own mortality and vulnerability during this month. The Celtic festival of Samhain was a time to remember all who had gone before. Death is difficult and painful. It strips us of the familiar and often leaves us naked and vulnerable with our bereavement and painful losses, which we all have experienced when a loved one dies. The death of a loved one often leaves many unanswered questions as we attempt to carry on without a husband, wife, sibling or friend.
Perhaps the two most powerful lines in the entire Gospel describe the human emotion felt by Jesus when his friend Lazarus died: “Jesus wept.” Jesus knew the pain and hurt that comes when a loved one dies. And for God to fully embrace the human condition, he also had to embrace death itself through his son. The humiliating and brutal manner of Christ’s death united God with all types of suffering and persecution.
The final words that came from our dying God was a prayer of welcome and wonderful invitation: “Today, you will be with me in paradise.” We know from our experience that the leaves will blossom again, that spring will come. Christ’s death was the ultimate demonstration of love by his father. As he was awoken to new life and resurrection, so, too, are all of us who believe in him. As we remember our loved ones who have died and pray for them, we do so with great hope in our hearts.
St. Paul tells us that “our true home is in Heaven”. May all our loved ones enjoy the eternal promise of life and peace in the happiness and joy of God’s presence?
Jesus tells us: “I am going ahead of you to prepare a place for you, so that where I am, you, too, shall be.” And despite the pain that comes when a loved one dies, in faith we are encouraged to hope in the reality that God’s love is even brighter than death itself.
Pádraig Pearse once told a beautiful story to demonstrate our Christian hope regarding death. In the month of September, the little boy asked his mother where do all the swallows go to? She replied: “To the land where it is always summer.” We all have “Loved and Lost”; May all we remember enjoy the light of an eternal flame.
Let Me Go
When I come to the end of the road,
And the sun has set for me,
I want no rites in a gloom filled room,
Why cry for a soul set free?
Miss me a little, but not for long,
And not with your head bowed low,
Remember the love that once we shared,
Miss me, but let me go.
For this is a journey we all must take,
And each must go alone,
It’s all part of the master plan,
A step on the road to home.
When you are lonely and sick at heart,
Go to the friends we know,
Laugh at all the things we used to do,
Miss me, but let me go.
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