This weekend, we embark upon the final days of the liturgical year, beginning with The Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed on Sunday. Names of the dead will be read aloud at our 11 am Choral Eucharist, which will include Maurice Duruflé’s stunningly ethereal setting of the Requiem, offered by St. Bartholomew’s Choir with orchestra.
Afterwards, we will celebrate the Mexican tradition of Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead), with festive food, face painting for kids, and a Mariachi band! You are encouraged to bring photos and momentos of your loved ones for our ofrenda (altar of remembrance).
The occasion presents a wonderful opportunity to invite family and friends to experience the mystery, awe, and wonder of this place. No matter one’s religious orientation, we all long to be near to those we love but see no longer. At St. Bart’s, we honor this universal yearning as deeply human and, in fact, profoundly Christian. As the Letter to the Hebrews encourages us, we are surrounded by a “great cloud of witnesses," the communion of saints.
At our Death Over Dinner hosted by the Reverend Meredith Ward and the Reverend Molly O’Neil Frank this past Wednesday, we were reminded that neither death — nor the dead — should be taboo in a community of faith. It was moving and reassuring to hear and share stories of people feeling close to the departed through physical sensations, dreams, voices, and visions — all surprisingly common and normal.
As the days get darker and the nights get longer, we are in a season when the veil between this world and the next can seem especially thin. The Good News is that the church in heaven and on earth is a singular and unified body. Connection with our ancestors has always been the church’s business, and it is an endeavor we share with adherents of religions across the globe.
Our particular Christian hope is that in death, “life is changed not ended.” Amidst all the changes and chances of life in the world today, we are invited to anchor our souls through prayer, sacrament, story, and song in the living hope that is Christ Jesus, risen from the grave.
So bring your grief. Bring your joy. Bring your memories. Bring your love. Life is short. Don't settle for just another Sunday brunch. Let’s make a date with the dead.
