[Written to be read for All Hallows’ (31st – 2nd November) annually]
Today we find ourselves at the height of All Hallows’, in the midst of Hallowmas, which is both a Feast and Solemnity for Orthodox and Catholic Christians comprised of three parts: All Hallows’ Eve, All Hallows’ Day & All Souls’ Day.
All Hallows’ Eve, more commercially recognised as the night of Hallowe’en; All Hallows’ Day, more commonly recognised as All Saints’ (or All Martyrs’) Day and All Souls’ Day also known as the Day of the Dead (or Faithfully Departed).
The first day acts as a precursor to the holy day of All Hallows’, the second day serves as the holy day dedicated to remember all the hallowed who have passed over, and the third day as another holy day to remember all the faithfully departed. In essence, these three holy days are dedicated to making those who have passed over apparent to those who are present.
“And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and yielded up His spirit. Then, behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth quaked, and the rocks were split, and the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised; and coming out of the graves after His resurrection, they went into the holy city and appeared to many.”
Matthew 27:50-4
The Church is a family of the all the faithful and All Hallows’ (All Saints’ & All Souls’) are holy days encouraging all members to pray for, and commune with, the entire Church whether present or passed.
“[…] at the present time some of his disciples are pilgrims on earth. Others have died and are being purified, while still others are in glory, contemplating ‘in full light, God himself triune and one, exactly as he is’ […]”
CCC #954-55
In essence, the Church is a unified family of physical and spiritual pilgrims – those on earth, those being purged and those who are wholly purified.
” ‘So it is that the union of the wayfarers with the brethren who sleep in the peace of Christ is in no way interrupted, but on the contrary, according to the constant faith of the Church, this union is reinforced by an exchange of spiritual goods’ ”
CCC #954-55
These holy days coincide with Día de Muertos (Day of the Dead) which is celebrated in Mexico. Through this perspective, the Day of the Dead can be seen as one holy day similar to All Hallows’ and All Souls’ in that it acts as a time to remember those who have passed over. A time that spans from the beginning of the 1st to the end of 2nd November, from the dawn of All Hallows’ to the dusk of All Souls’.
However, rather than being specifically dedicated to the hallowed or the faithful, Día de Muertos serves as one to celebrate heritage and to remember friends and family who have passed away through prayer (as beautifully depicted in the Disney Pixar film Coco). The prayers and offerings of food and drink (ofrenda) for the dead echo the sentiment of intercessory prayer practiced in the Catholic Church for the faithfully departed souls.
“Our prayer for them is capable not only of helping them, but also of making their intercession for us effective.”
CCC #958
Although these traditions coincide, they have different focuses, yet both of these traditions say something valuable about the importance of family either by blood or by faith:
Día de Muertos emphasises the importance of familial ties (blood) where it is one’s biological DNA and common cultural heritage that allows one to commune with relatives who have passed away.
All Hallows’, on the other hand, emphasises the importance of spiritual ties (faith) where it is one’s spiritual DNA, a family of faith and common ground in God, that allows us to commune with the holy and faithful ones – all saints and all souls – who have passed over.
“All, indeed, who are of Christ and who have his Spirit form one Church and in Christ cleave together.”
CCC #954
While Día de Muertos cultivates a culture that honours heritage and familial ancestry, All Hallows’ encourages us to commemorate our holy and faithful forebearers.
Despite this difference, the communion – the common union – for All Hallows’ and Día de Muertos is to come together in body and spirit to recognise what is shared: a fellowship of family and faith, culture and Spirit, earth and God.
“‘In full consciousness of this Communion of the whole Mystical Body of Jesus Christ, the Church in its pilgrim members […] has honoured with great respect the memory of the dead …’ ”
CCC #958
Bibliography
(Anon.). 1982. The Holy Bible, New King James Version. Nashville, Tennessee: Thomas Nelson, Inc.
Holy See. 1995. Catechism of the Catholic Church. New York: Image Book Doubleday.
https://prayerist.com/allsaints.html
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Day_of_the_Dead
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/All_Saints%27_Day
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/All_Souls%27_Day
https://www.nationalgeographic.org/media/dia-de-los-muertos/
Sy 'Adamah #SageSpeaks 