For the past ten years, when the calendar hits March 20, my four school-aged kids and I send a balloon into the sky. This is how we celebrate, what we call, “the day Aunt Mary Beth went to heaven.” My kids were very young when my sister died at 47. Though pictures and stories tell them she lived a good life, this tradition is telling as well. The balloon (since replaced with more environmentally friendly flower petals) is specifically designed to be celebratory because when my kids think about Mary Beth’s death, I don’t want them to wonder about her suffering, but rather to remember what St. Francis de Sales once wrote:
“Let us walk … joyously, dear souls, among the difficulties of this passing life … These pains will have an end when our life ends, after which there will be only joy, only contentment, only eternal consolation.”
Joy, contentment, eternal consolation. Thus, the celebration.
Before we celebrate those who have gone before us, we must pray for them. All Souls Day offers us a special opportunity for this prayer. And, with all the death in our pandemic world today, prayer is what these departed need most.
As a child, I remember the day Sr. Kathleen made my fourth grade class stand as the list of deceased alumni was read over the PA system. It was All Souls Day, and she told us to pray for these souls so they could get into heaven. I recall imagining a large gate with people waiting in line to get inside. Later, in my high school theology class, my teacher explained purgatory - but I still had questions.
After experiencing the deaths of loved ones as an adult, I appreciate that understanding the concept of purgatory relies directly on faith. Our faith tells us that through the mercy of God, we can all experience external life, but first, sins need to be purged.
This is where WE come in.
Through the prayers of the faithful, that is us here on Earth, these dead are cleansed of sins and enter heaven. For this, we must pray. On All Souls Day, we offer such prayers.
Whether you have your own Aunt Mary Beth, whose loss breaks your heart, whether Covid death has touched your home or whether no one comes to mind on this day of reflection, we can ALL pray. When we do, we offer the deceased the best gift we can give them.
My fourth-grade image of those pearly gates has been modified. I no longer see a waiting line. Now, I imagine those left on Earth offering a gentle push as we send these souls to a life of joy, contentment, and eternal consolation or, from my children’s perspective, an endless party with lots and lots of balloons!
Paula M. Riley
Communications Consultant
Paula M. Riley LinkedIN
