At St. Columba’s this year, we commemorated All Faithful Departed. I think it is a very useful, and important observance, for a number of reasons. First, it is an expression our Christian hope. We believe that death is not the end of life, but the beginning of a new life. It is a liturgical time of remembering the dead and reaffirming our hope, for new life, for those we love. There is also a pastoral dimension, for those that have lost loved ones in the last year.
All Faithful Departed also adds clarity to the Christian calendar. It is for all the faithful dead, where All saints is a little different. All Saints was started around 610 by Pope Boniface the 4th. It was a time to remember all the martyrs that died as witnesses to their faith. It was intended to capture all the saints, known and unknown, killed by a hostile Roman empire. It was especially meant to include those saints not remembered.
There is an inclusive element to All Saints. We certainly recognize that individuals witness to their faith in every age, and those witnesses are included in All Saints. Through the examples of the saints of every age, we are encouraged to witness to the faith in us.
No comments:
Post a Comment