November Messenger: Why pray for the dead?
Donal Neary SJ’s opening article in this month’s November Messenger reflects on the meaning of all Soul’s Day. He says “it is good to remember our dead and to be grateful for their lives”. He adds that “those who die bring with them the loves of their life, and so something of us goes with them, a link of heaven and earth”. Donal also reminds us that faith gives meaning to death and Jesus who “is God made man, offers not an answer but a meaning to death. It is a meeting with God, a homecoming, an entry into a totally new way of life.”
Jesuit theologian Gerry O’Hanlon asks ‘Why Pray for the Dead?‘ In his article he remembers his early years during All Souls’ Day in November. He reflects “As children we scurried in and out of our local church, praying for the release of holy souls from purgatory. Part giggling, but wholly earnest and even a bit competitvley, we stormed heaven with our series of six Our Fathers/Hail Marys/Glorias, even feeling a bit guilty as we went home for tea. Gerry continues “to understand a little more about how praying for the dead can be reasonable, we go back to the basic truth unearthed by many sciences and intuitively known to us all, that everything is interconnected, people certainly but also creation, our cosmos. This means that relationship is at the core of reality. We as human beings are all called to full relationship with the Trinity, with each other, with our planet and our cosmos. Let us pray for those who have gone before us.”
Kevin O’Gorman SMA shares the Pope’s intention for the month “That those who are tempted to commit suicide might find the support, care and love they need in their community and be open to the beauty of life”. Commenting on the intention Kevin says “The strain of economic and social pressure can pile up to push some people over the edge of existence. The sadness of families who have lost a loved one through suicide is shared to different degrees by their relatives and friends, colleagues and community. Suicide leaves nobody untouched.” Kevin concludes that “As we remember this month those who have died tragically by their own hands, we pray also that we may promote awareness of and action for the prevention of suicide”.
Colm Brophy is an artist who lives in Dublin. He has written a piece entitled ‘We All Belong’. In it he reflects on the suffering of children of war and in particular the “lost children of Palestine”. He says “we have seen the obscene television news, night after night, until we could look at it no more. Our children have been crucified by starvation, bereavement of their parents and siblings. We have felt so helpless.” Colm continues “Every human being deserves our respect, our care and positive thoughts. No one is alien. No one is alien except ourselves when we fall into the trap of thinking that our way of being is better than those who appear strange to us, poor, politically left, right or centre, of a different religion or no religion. Everyone has within them an abundance of goodness and of possibility. Love our enemy, open our hearts. Are we no better than the stranger? especially when we think we are?”
David Breen continues his series on Scripture. This month he focuses on the story of ‘The Cost of Discipleship’. He reminds us of Jesus’ journey to Jerusalem for Passover, where his mission would climax in death and resurrection. David explains “Jesus turned to the crowd and laid out two conditions for discipleship. One of these conditions is ‘hatred’ for parents, wives, siblings and children”. David explains that “hatred in this context is a semitic idiom signifying what is secondary in a decisive choice. Jesus’ use of this idiom is to stress that unless our relationship with him takes priority over others, we cannot be his disciple.” The second condition that the disciple take up his or her cross and follow Jesus is a repetition of Luke 9:23. Davis continues “The cross for the disciple is the consequence of being a follower of Jesus. Putting Jesus before all all other relationships and living a life of renunciation are only ways of describing what is involved in taking up our cross. In Jesus’ day those taking up the cross has already said goodbye to family and friends and relinquished their possessions. Discipleship is cruciform. It costs us everything, just as our salvation cost Jesus everything”. David concludes “God grant us the grace to truly follow Jesus”.
Other interesting stories in this edition of the Messenger include ‘Religion is still a thing’ by Father Gerard Condon on the topic of Gen Z, religion and an exciting turnaround in Church attendance. ‘Ireland and India’ is a story published by Kevin Hargaden of the JCFJ. In it he talks about the sad news story of deep unrest among the Irish-Indian community and the hostility their members have begun to receive. John Scally gives insights about ‘Dublin’s Patron Saint’, Laurence O’Toole.
The Messenger has all its regular features as well, – reflections, scripture, cookery, crosswords, children’s pages, nature focus, and RE:LINK.
