The KinDom of All Saints & Souls: Remembering, Honoring, Loving
As we remember All Saints and All Souls - and as we celebrate Dia de Los Muertos - may these reflections, readings, songs and prayers help us to experience the Divine Loving Connection between this world and the next.
Communion of Saints
For the past several weeks, we’ve been exploring the KinDom. Today, we extend the KinDom to those who are living and those who have transitioned to eternal life. This aspect of the KinDom is called “The Communion of Saints” - nothing can separate us from the love of God and one another.
People who have lived exemplary lives are often referred to as saints - with a lower-case “s”. Sometimes - the Christian Churches will go through a lengthy, rigorous and often costly process and identify them as Saints - with a capital “S”.
For example, Mother Teresa was proclaimed a lower-case saint by the people before she was canonized and declared a Saint with a capital S.
We celebrate all these Saints and saints on November 1 - celebrating that they are in the heavenly KinDom and asking for their intercession.
On November 2, we celebrate All Souls - also known as Dio de Los Muertos. Our souls are the unique part of our beings that are eternal. Jesus taught there are many rooms in God’s mansion. Through our prayers, some of our loved ones may move from one mansion to another. Some of our loved ones’ souls may choose not to enter the heavenly reign - thinking they are not worthy, they are not ready or they have more work to do on earth. If any of these situations have arisen, our prayers may assist them.
Rev. AndreaGrace’s Reflection
A Friendship Generations in the Making
For many moons, I’ve heard about this man whom we’ll call Don C — “Don” an Italian title that actually means “Lord.”
Don C owned the house in the piazza—and a farm farther south. I’d heard about Don C and his daughter, Bea, who lives in America. But somehow, our paths never crossed.
This summer, while I was at my family’s home in Italy, my Papa’ shared some stories with me about Don C.
My Papa’ and Bea have kept in touch - and visited each other on both sides of the Atlantic.
Several years have passed and this summer, Bea, my Papa’, and I were all in our village at the same time!
We arranged to have dinner with Bea, her husband, their delightful son and Don C’s right-hand man.
There was an immediate synergy between Bea and I —a sense of being simpatico—like long-lost friends.
I think the deep connection between our fathers had already planted the seeds of a friendship between us. I looked forward to the day when we could do a double-date with our husbands.
An Unexpected Morning of Coffee, Biscotti, and Connection
Turns out, Bea needed some help. Her car kept breaking down.
The next morning, my dad went to help her, and I stayed home to pray — in my pajamas, as is my custom!
Before long, the doorbell rang.
There stood my Papa’ and Bea!
We sat at the kitchen tablet, drinking coffee, eating biscotti, and sharing stories. The conversation - and some tears - flowed. And the hours went by.
Meanwhile, I kept wondering when she was going to leave so I could get dressed! Finally I excused myself to go get dressed!
Turns out, my dad had invited her to stay until the tow truck came!
I invited Bea and her family to return for lunch. But in the end, we gathered what we had and ate at her house—complete with a tour of her family’s historic home.
Her mom was in the hospital, so I sent along one of my favorite books I thought she might enjoy, along with lots of prayers.
Throughout those days, texts and conversations between Bea and I continued. We shared stories of our families, our work, our struggles, and our joys.
I learned that on his farm, Don C had even built a chapel for the farmworkers!
And on our final day together, Bea dropped off a big tin of homemade olive oil—which I promptly marked “DO NOT TOUCH” so I could bring it home on my next trip!
A few days later, Bea sent me a photo of my grandparents - a photo which is on display in their mausoleum. She asked if they were my nonni! I was shocked! Turns out - our families are buried next to each other in the cemetery!
Finding the Sacred in Life's Surprises
For me, this was a summer of practicing being present—of noticing the surprises that arose as I “played” in the river of life and tended to those who showed up in my life.
And surely, one of my beloved gifts of the summer was my budding friendship with Bea.
A friendship born out of the love and connection of our dads.
And I can't help but think there's something deeply spiritual about all of this.
Don C was recognized for his goodness—a true modern-day Don, a lord not simply by title, but through the way he lived.
Isn't that what we're all called to be and do?
To be saints among the people?
And he was human, too—with his frailties and faults, just like each of us.
And years later, even after he had entered eternal life, that love continued to ripple outward.
Through my dad.
Through an unexpected friendship.
Through coffee and biscotti, shared meals, prayers, and even a tin of olive oil!
Living in Circles of Divine Love
Isn't this something of what God, our Divine Parent, and Jesus have shown us?
A generous love that reaches out, provides, nurtures, and continues beyond what we can see or imagine.
A love that invites us to care for one another and to break bread together.
When we accept the responsibility to be there for one another…
When we move within circles of love grounded in Divine Love…
When we open our doors—and our hearts—sharing our joys and sorrows, and whatever food happens to be in our kitchen…
We discover God's Love already waiting for us.
We discover a more loving way of moving through this world and into the next.
We help create a world filled with more LovingKindness.
And we are changed… transformed.
Changed so that we, in turn, can share that love more freely with others.
I think that's one of the beautiful mysteries of love.
It doesn't end with us.
It keeps flowing, from one person to another, from one generation to the next—often in ways we could never have planned, in this world and beyond.
All Saints and All Souls: Remembering, Healing, and Carrying Love Forward
And so, as we celebrate these days of All Saints and All Souls, I find myself reflecting on the Communion of Saints - and how we are not separated by death.
I find myself thinking about Don C, my grandparents — and all those who have gone before us.
We remember their holiness and their humanness.
We give thanks for the gifts they have left us—the love, the wisdom, the kindness, and the connections that continue to shape our lives.
And we also acknowledge the wounds, the struggles, and the areas of pain that may have been passed from one generation to another.
These, too, we bring into our prayers, asking for deep healing that liberates.
Perhaps part of honoring those who have gone before us is recognizing the goodness we have inherited, praying for what needs healing, and choosing what we will pass on.
What circles of love have been created by those who came before us?
How might we widen those circles for others?
And what seeds of LovingKindness are we planting today that may blossom long after we are gone?
With all of this in our minds and hearts, let us pray.
Music to Lift Our Spirits
Gathering of Spirits by Carrie Newcomer
Litany of Saints by John Becker
Still We Sing Alleluia by Paolo K. Tirol
Swimming To The Other Side by Pat Humphries
Holy Wisdom, Holy Words
2 Maccabees 12:38-46
Introduction: Perhaps the best Biblical description of why we pray for the dead and offer the “sacrifice of the Mass” is found in our first reading from 2 Maccabees. In the reading Judas leads his forces to recover the bodies of fallen soldiers. Turns out, these soldiers had been wearing idolatrous tokens. Recognizing the sin, Judas and his men pray that “the sin… might be wholly blotted out” and they send silver to Jerusalem as an offering, a concrete act of intercession by the living on behalf of those who have died
Psalm 124:1-8
as interpreted by Nan C. Merrill in Psalms for Praying: An Invitation to Wholeness
John 6:38-40
Introduction: Our first reading from 2 Maccabees points to our belief in the after life, in heaven. Otherwise why would Judas lead his men to pray for those who have died and take up a collection as an offering for their sins? In our second reading, we hear Jesus speak of the will of the One who sent him. And the will of the One, of God, is that all who have faith in the Son will be raised up to eternal life.
John Dear’s Versions of the Beatitudes:
Introduction: Today’s Gospel is a modern version of the Sermon on the Mount written by John Dear, a Jesuit priest and peace activist. Before listening to this, it is helpful to consider how John Dear came to writing this version:
“I learned that some scholars are rethinking the original Greek translation of the Beatitudes. The passive ‘Blessed are. . . ‘ is not accurate, they say. Better the more active phrase: ‘Walk on! Walk forth!’ If true, it rings a different tone, a tone of doggedness, support, encouragement. God cheers us on that we might go the distance in pursuit of justice and peace.” source
At the end John Dear inserted a quote from “Dr. Barber” in the same encouraging and supportive voice. This is most likely the Reverend William J. Barber II, a prominent Mainline Protestant minister, social activist, and academic who has been a close collaborator in peace and justice work. Notice how it speaks directly to us here and now!
Read John Dear's "Beatitudes of Peace"
Michele's Reflection
Michele is a member of the BeLoved Leadership Circle who shared this reflection at our service
When I first read John Dear’s version of The Sermon on the Mount, which he titled Beatitudes of Peace, an image and a memory came to mind. The image was of a person walking with determination and confidence. The determination and confidence you have when you know this is your path; this is who you were made to be. In other words, times when you are responding to God’s call in your life.
And the memory that came to mind was a brief encounter in a hallway at Lowell General Hospital in November 2019 with my mother’s friend and soul mate, Marianne. It was a memorable week, beginning with a 4:00 am phone call on Monday from my mother asking for help. She was not able to get out of bed at her apartment in an assisted living center. After a day in the emergency room, she was admitted to the hospital. It was clear she had experienced a mild stroke. I spread the word to family and friends about my mother’s condition. And they began to visit or make plans to travel to see her. On Tuesday, the tending doctor gave my mother two options. She could move to a rehab facility or to a hospice house. After a challenging four years which included surgery, partial recovery, treatments, and so many visits to specialists, she chose to be moved to the hospice house. It was soon after this decision that I ran into Marianne who had just visited with my mother. Marianne looked me in the eye and said with great confidence as she raised her arm slightly above her head, “she knows just where she is going!” I will never forget that moment. The tone was similar to John Dear’s Walk on! Go forth!
Marianne and my mother had been in the same parish for decades. But their deep friendship began when my mother ran into Marianne at the Purity Supreme grocery store a year or so after my father passed away at 53. Marianne told my mother that St. Mary’s, their parish, was planning to begin a youth ministry program and told my mother she should apply for the position of director. Marianne’s words were encouraging; she told my mother to take an unlikely step. My mother did not have a college degree let alone a degree in ministry. She had never taught or led a program. But she applied. And she flourished: building a board of parents to collaborate with her, leading teens on summer trips to Habitat for Humanity sites, and creating a space for teens to gather and explore how God might be working in their lives. She served as a youth minister for 10 years in three different parishes before retiring. Soon after her retirement, one of my brothers called and posed the question, “What are you planning to do in your retirement?” My mother gave this question time. And then formed a committee of friends and acquaintances to create a community dinner in their town for those who were socially isolated and/or food insecure. The first dinner was held in 2010. Last week, I ran into one of my mother’s friends who reported they had just served dinner to 188 guests.
I tell this story because I believe my mother may be considered a saint with a small “s.” Her life had challenges from childhood when her brother and sister, born with a genetic condition, passed away at 2 and 5 years old. This was followed by financial hardship due to the cost of caring for her siblings and the loss of her father’s business. And then there was the unexpected short illness and death of my father. If I were to name her poverty of spirit, it would be loneliness. And yet I witnessed a conversion after the loss of my father. With time, it became clear my mother had gained new life. She became more outspoken about her faith. And listened for God’s guidance as evidenced in her grocery store encounter with Marianne and in seeking an answer to the question posed by my brother. My mother walked forth! She kept going! She became a visible follower of Christ to others.
Sacred Practices Treasure Chest - Praying for our Loved Ones…
One of our sacred practices is to breathe in the Holy Spirit and then notice where our minds are brought… who may need our prayers today. We will do this with the prayer poem:
Remembering the Holy Ones Who Have Touched Our Lives
by Rev. Richard Gilbert (adapted by Revs. Jean Marchant and Ron Hindelang)
We give thanks for those who have tended us
Who have nourished us through sleepless nights and restless days
Who have seen us through the good times and bad
Who have celebrated our triumphs and suffered through our defeats.
We pay silent tribute to the loved ones no longer among us,
And speak soft thanksgivings to those who are with us still
May we who have been nurtured
also be nurturers of those who follow.
May we be “gardeners of the spirit"
even as we have been tended by loving hearts and hands.
On this day, may we co-mingle gratitude
for those who nourished us
With commitment to those
who receive the gift of life and love from us.
May all the blessings of peace and kindness, graciousness, goodness and compassion Flow among us and all the peoples of the world.
We lift up to our Beloved God - all the people who Spirit has brought to our mind and hearts
We also lift up all those who have no one to pray for them…
Eternal rest grant unto them, O Loving God.
And let the perpetual light shine upon them.
And may the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace.
Amen.
A Blessing in the Leaving
In the leaving
in the letting go
et there be this
to hold onto
at the last:
the enduring of love
the persisting of hope
the remembering of joy
the offering of gratitude
the receiving of grace
the blessing of peace.
Amen.
PS -
If this moved you, consider praying with the BeLoved Inclusive Community on Sunday mornings. Learn more here..
If you want to share the names of people for whom you'd like prayers, send them along here.
Comments