Sunday Reflection: All my tears be washed away

Today's reflection is brought to you by 

Isaiah 25: 6-8.

On this mountain the Lord of hosts will make for all peoples 

    a feast of rich food, a feast of well-matured wines, 

    of rich food filled with marrow, of well-matured wines strained clear. 

And God will destroy on this mountain 

    the shroud that is cast over all peoples, 

    the sheet that is spread over all nations; 

God will swallow up death for ever. 

Then the Lord God will wipe away the tears from all faces...

This morning we celebrated All Souls' Day at Sanctuary of Peace. It was a very meaningful service in more ways than one. Pastor Quinn gave a beautiful reflection on the reading from Isaiah, and offered everyone present an opportunity to come forward and light a candle in memory of loved ones who have gone "home." Our community of low-income and homeless folks know so many on the other side of the veil... one of whom just passed beyond the veil this morning due to a fentanyl overdose. The drugs out there right now are at a level of lethal that ends lives and breaks hearts far too often.

As part of the service, Pastor Quinn asked for a special song, All My Tears, written by Julie Miller. Julie's version, which you can hear by clicking this link, has an aching rawness (perhaps because she can sing an interesting dissonance) that really appeals to Quinn, who met her in his past. Julie and Buddy, her partner, do things with this song that Evan and I can't carry off, and not just because we don't have drums and electric guitar at our disposal. Emmylou Harris's version is even more haunting in my books. There's just something about her voice...

It was tricky to learn this song in the short time we had, but Evan and I managed to sing something a bit closer to the video below, put together by Wild Blue Yonder, an excellent Appalachian bluegrass band. Of course, they can apply a few more gorgeous harmonies than us two Sanctuary musicians, along with wonderful fiddle, banjo, mandolin, etc...

On this All Souls' Day, I hope that you can imagine your loved ones who have gone ahead singing these words to you, and find comfort in the God who intends that we'll all be home and we'll all be free, with all our tears washed away. 

Saints and souls

The saints in the orthodox chapel at Taizé

While I'm not really fond of this commercial thing known as Hallowe'en now that my kids are grown, I do appreciate the two hallowed days following... November 1st being All Saints' Day, and November 2nd, All Souls' Day. I love the fact that there are two holy days to cover us all.

Of course most people think of those Capital S Saints who lived exemplary lives and who have been officially declared to reside with God by ecclesial authorities, but I prefer St. Paul's view of saintliness, as he phrases it in Ephesians 2: "...you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are citizens with the saints and also members of the household of God..." In Paul's writings, we are all saints with a small s by virtue of the fact that we are loved by God.

And, of course, every person on the planet has a soul, so November 2nd is for all of us, no matter who we are, what we believe, or how we vote, ha. But it's also a day to remember our loved ones who have died. So the first two days of November are a good time to recall our communion of saints, those who have gone before us and who intercede for us, and to celebrate the fact that we will see them again "in the land of the living," as the Taizé chant below reminds us.

I hope you can find some time to remember the saints and souls who have blessed your life during this week ahead.

When the saints (and souls) go marching in...

I love the first two days of November, these All Hallows days when we remember the saints, both capital and small S saints who have gone before us. I keep a personal Communion of Saints list that I refer to at this time of year, and 2015 has seen a few additions:

Anne K.
Cleonice S.
Cy F.
Ivan P.
Jean P.
Joe S.
Olga (Helena) G.

I also remember all the others on the list... and love to think about the "great cloud of witnesses" that include those who have been important in my life, and who have graced the human race with their goodness and light through the centuries...

Including the two gentlemen in the video below, who are having a wonderful time remembering all the musicians who are part of the heavenly choir. I hope someday we'll all join them in the great sing song/jam session in the beyond... Thanks to Ruthie for bringing this video to my attention. Enjoy!

And a big happy birthday to the love of my life, who was born on this day. He's simply the best!

Simple Suggestion #184... Celebrate your saints

Here's a suggestion that springs partly from the fact that we're coming upon All Hallow's Eve, or as every store has advertised for the past two months, HALLOWEEN (they don't even add the apostrophe between the E's any more, have you noticed?). My suggestion also arises because my friend Cathy is saying farewell to her cousin, Joan, this week, and because October 18th and 19th were the anniversaries of death of two of my grandparents...

Celebrating the silly and superficial supernatural at Hallowe'en with parties, costumes, and haunted houses can be fun, but actually misses the point of All Hallow's Eve. We're reaching toward the "death of nature" as leaves fall and darkness comes early, and we're given a chance to reflect on the waning of life as we know it... and on a new life to come. If we're at all aware of the real meaning of All Hallow's Eve, which is the vigil before the days of remembrance for all saints and souls, we can use it as an opportunity to begin to befriend the death that will eventually come to us, and to recall the communion of saints and souls who have gone ahead of us.

Personally, I figure that anyone I know who has died is already in the loving embrace of God. My deceased family and friends might not be saints in the official, church-sanctioned sense, but they're MY saints in the presence of God, good people I have known, touched, learned from, and loved. It might seem a bit strange, but for a number of years now, I have been keeping a list of people I know who have died, just so that they aren't forgotten. I take my list out every year at this time, and think about these people and the impact they have had on my life. Some I knew all my life, some I only knew through my friends. Remembering is my little way of celebrating these saints, ensuring that they aren't forgotten, and keeping connected so that I'll hopefully know them when I meet them on the other side.

Those of you who know me might be interested in my list of saints because you may know some of them too. I'll post it below. As for the rest of my readers, the challenge for this week is to think of the people in your life who have died, to remember their good qualities, and to celebrate your own communion of saints in a way that feels right for you. I'm thinking of and lighting a candle or two for my friends below:

Adam P. 2007 (great uncle)

Al H. 2006 (Cursillo friend)

Alan C. 2011 (neighbour)

Alex M. 2002 (Cursillo friend)

Alva K. 1999 (Karin's mom)

Anna K. 2008 (Anna's mom)

Armand V. 2010 (Aimee's dad)

Barney M. 2013 (parish friend)

Barry B. 2005 (distant cousin)

Ben D. 1997 (John's dad)

Brent P. 2007 (Joan's husband)

Brian H. 2010 (Lynn's husband)

Bob B. 2011 (neighbour)
Bob H. 2013 (Peter's brother)

Clem T. 1999 (Cursillo friend)

Deanna L. 2013 (cousin)

Del P. 2004 (parish friend)

Don M. 1992 (friend of my in-laws)

Dot K. 2003 (parish friend)

Dorothea P. 2000 (Grandma)

Ed Z. 1986 (uncle)

Edna D. 2007 (Dave's mom)

Edna E. 2004 (Joan's mom)

Eduardo B. 2008 (Cursillo founder)

Elizabeth W. 1992 (Newman friend)

Elsie Anna M. 2012 (Eleanor's mom)

Eugene B. 2001 (Robert's dad)

Eugenia S. 1996 (Grandma)

Fr Clem G. 2008 (parish priest)

Fr Clem R. 2002 (Cursillo roadrunner)

Fr Emmett C. 2006 (parish priest)

Fr Frank F. 1999 (professor and friend who married us)

Fr Gordon R. 2006 (parish priest)

Fr John M. 2006 (parish priest)

Fr Karl R. 2004 (priest friend)

Fr Khiet N. 2000 (priest friend)

Fr Rich B. 2006 (priest friend)

Fran L. 2000 (neighbour)

Frank W. 2000 (Annette's husband)

Gene Z. 2009 (parish friend)

Gianna P. 1992 (Sue's mom)

Gerry B. 2006 (Christ Our Light friend)

Gord S. 1995 (Barb's husband)

Gordon C. 2000 (neighbour)

Greg T. 2009 (Yvette's husband)

Harold G. 2000 (Mary Lou's husband)

Harry P. 1993 (uncle)

Harry E. 2012 (Newman friend)

Hugh C. 2010 (Gwen's brother)

Isabel S. 1993 (aunt)

Ivan D. 1992 (Gaby and Yvonne's son)

James G. 1996 (Brenda's uncle)

Janet F. 1997 (Alan and Josie's daughter)

Jeanne B. 2006 (Muriel's mom)
Joan L. 2013 (Cathy's cousin)

Joe J. 2010 (Cursillo friend)

Joe M. 2007 (Barb's husband)

Joe R. 1999 (Ron's uncle)

John H. 2012 (J. H. Picard band member)

John K. 1998 (Lee's grampy)

John M. 1999 (Sean's dad)

John P. 1989 (Grandpa)

John R. 1983 (Patricia's brother)

Josie P. 2009 (great aunt)

Julie M. 2005 (parish friend)

Judy P. 2011 (Lee's aunt)

June L. 2012 (James' mom, Bill's wife)

Karin K. 2013 (Up With People friend)

Kathleen A. 2010 (Debbie's mom)

Katherine C. 2013 (Gwen's mom)

Kath B.1997 (Alan, Hugh, Ross, Dan, Michael and James' mom)

Len F. 2001 (Karen's dad)

Leo B. 2006 (Leo's dad)

Leon Victor S. 2012 (Honey's dad)

Lori M. 1985 (Christ Our Light friend)

Louis P. 2013 (uncle)

Mabelle B. 2006 (neighbour)

Marcel P. 1996 (Sue's dad)

Margie O. 2003 (distant cousin)

Marie B. 2004 (Elaine's sister)

Marilyn B. 2006 (Cursillo friend)

Mary A. 2009 (Cursillo friend)

Mary K. 1986 (university friend) 

Mary K. 2009 (back-alley Mary)

Mary K. 2009 (sweet Adeline) 

Mary K. 1995 (Lee's grannie)

Michael P. 1998 (great uncle)

Monsignor Don M. 2005 (priest friend)

Monsignor Fee O. 2012 (friend and teacher)

Monika S. 2008 (Angie's sister)

Myrna P. 2013 (Sig's wife)

Noelle S. 2006 (Steve and Dianne's daughter)

Nick O. 1981 (Margie's husband)

Orest M. 2007 (Annette and Paulette's dad)

Pat C. 1993 (Cathy's mom)

Patsy L. 2012 (L'Arche friend)

Pauline B. 2006 (Cursillo friend)

Pauline P. 1985 (first friend I lost)

Pete P. 1974 (great uncle)

Rick L. 1999 (James' brother)

Red G. 2007 (Cursillo friend)

Robert H. 2010 (L'Arche friend)

Ron S. 2002 (Phyllis' husband)

Rosie P. 1993 (great aunt)

Rosemarie S. 2008 (cousin)

Ruby S. 2013 (neighbour)

Scotty M. 1996 (uncle)

Sheila S. 1993 (Newman friend)
Sherman C. 2013 (Kim's husband)

Shorty L. 2007 (neighbour)

Sr Ambrosia P. 1987 (great aunt)
Sr Domenica S. 1998 (Cursillo friend)

Sr Geraldine K. 2008 (friend)
Sr Helen R. 1991 (Ron's sister)

Steve K. 2009 (uncle)

Therese P. 2011 (Pauline's mom)

Vi T. 2001 (parish friend)

Walter E. Sr. 1996 (Joan's dad)

Walter K. 2006 (Shelley's husband)

Warren S. 2000 (Vickie's dad)

Wayne P. 1986 (Pauline's dad)

Wendelin S. 1984 (Grandpa)

Yolande B. 2009 (St. Vincent de Paul friend)