FR JULIAN'S WEEKLY BLOG
02/11/25
I was a week ahead of myself when I wrote of All Saints’ Sunday last week! But at least it enables me to consider All Souls’ day this week, when we think of those whom we’ve loved and see no more.
When we lose someone, then inevitably our immediate thoughts are about their final few days, or their death itself. Any bereavement is a shock, perhaps more so than we might realise. More than three years after my mother’s sudden death, her sister ‘phoned me. I’d never spoken to Aunty Sylvy on the ‘phone before. My immediate thought (as she sounded just like Mum) was that we’d made a mistake; Mum wasn’t dead. After all, I had anointed her body in hospital, celebrated her requiem mass and stood at the graveside. The effects of grief not fully healed.
As time goes on, our thoughts go beyond the immediate past. We can remember without always the sting of tears or regret – perhaps even unjustified guilt. Our feeling of hopelessness fades, and we become thankful for those memories. This is all part of grieving, and an essential part of grieving is a proper farewell, most certainly not a ‘direct cremation’ followed by a knees-up. The Christian faith can also offer us hope; Christ rose from the dead so that we may. And we can continue to show our love by praying for the departed: lighting a candle, attending All Souls’ mass.
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26/10/25
This weekend sees a couple of significant dates. Not just the clocks going back, but Hallowe’en and All Saints Sunday. The two are connected: another name for All Saints is All Hallows, hence hallowe’en, the eve of All Saints. With the demise of Bonfire Night as a common family celebration, Hallowe’en has taken over as the autumnal event, and the last retail opportunity before Christmas. Why it has become inextricably linked with ghosts, ghoulies and long-legged beasties is inexplicable, although I think those on the other side of the Atlantic to be a significant cause.
All Saints’ day (Nov 1st) is actually often transferred to the nearest Sunday, this year the 2nd. And having given thanks for the lives of those who have witnessed to Christ in this world and who pray for us in the world to come, the saints, we then turn to All Souls’ day, which like All Saints this year is pushed back a day to the 3rd. This is the day when we can remember our dead, with love and thanksgiving, doing that which we can still do – praying for them, as they may be able to pray for us.
Don’t let yourselves be guided by the fashions and customs of those around us! Don’t feel it necessary to conform – or collude – to public ignorance. There are plenty of opportunities for celebration – and hallowe’en is one of them.​