For Those Who Have Left A Name And For
Those Who Have Not
This might sound a little ghoulish,
but, I have always enjoyed cemeteries. I enjoy walking around the quiet
places of rest and thinking about what a gift we have been given with our
life. Several weeks ago an article appeared in the Daily Journal about a
cast iron casket that had been unearthed in Aberdeen as they were preparing
to build. It was thought that the casket may have been that of a plantation
owner surrounded by his wife and slaves, but, they were never able to
determine exactly who was buried there so they returned the body to the
casket and reburied it. When I read this article I thought about the passage
from Ecclesiasticus 44: 8-10
Some of them have left behind a name,
so that others declare their praise.
But of others there is no memory;
they have perished as though they had never existed;
they have become as though they had never been born,
they and their children after them.
But these also were godly men,
whose righteous deeds have not been forgotten;
(By the way you can find that book in the
Apocrypha
and sometimes referred to as Sirach).
Many of the people who have affected our
lives don’t really know how much they have meant to us. Sometimes we
don’t understand how much parents, friends, colleagues and mentors have
meant to us until long after they are gone. All Saints’ Day has become a day
in which we remember all of those who have died and now live in the heart of
God. This Sunday evening, November 2, at 5:30 we will be having a special
service of evensong and we have invited Sanctuary Hospice House to be a part
of our remembrance. During this liturgy we will be surrounded by sights,
sounds, smells and prayers that remind us of the presence of God in this
life and in the life to come. As we come through the door of the church we
will be given a note card and asked to write a name of someone who has died
and we want to remember. At a particular time in the service those cards
will be collected and their names will be read as well as the names of the
people who have died over the past six months at Sanctuary Hospice House.
This liturgy is an outward and visible expression for those of us who have
come to remember and celebrate the lives of those who have meant so much to
us. It is likely a few of us will shed a few tears as the pain of separation
grieves our heart. It is also likely that more than a few of us will
experience a bit of comfort and deep joy in knowing that life goes on for
these people in the heavenly dimension we can only envision and that one day
we shall all be reunited in the kingdom of God.
The celebration of All Saints’ Day is not only an opportunity to give thanks
for those who continue to mean so much to us but, also, a time in which to
bask ourselves in the incredible peace and grace of God. The liturgy of
evensong is a quiet, peaceful and gentle service (probably cruel and unusual
punishment for wiggly children) that reminds us that even at the close of
the day our Lord is close at hand and even at the close of our life – God
will not abandon us. As we are surrounded by the Saints in light so will we
be accompanied by the saints of everlasting life that shall welcome us to
the only real home we have ever known.
Many of our parishioners have carved symbols of a Saint in a pumpkin. As
well as a moving and spiritual experience it is also a photographer’s
delight. I invite those of you who desire to bring your cameras and after
the service you will have an opportunity to take pictures of these
incredible creations.
--Mother LaRae+
