Saturday, November 1, 2008

All Saints' Day

I went to an old municipal cemetery today. The Church is celebrating All Saints' Day. And being a Lay Minister myself, it was part of my duties to go to an assigned cemetery and bless the graves with holy water. On my way there, I saw throngs of people queuing to the cemetery.

In the Philippines, this holiday is a time to pay respects for departed loved ones. It is celebrated with both reverence and revelry. It would seem that all traffics lead to the cemeteries. And I remembered our beloved dead, especially my Lola Edding.

While the Mass was going on, I can't help but look around and notice the well-brushed graves. Some were expensively constructed with marble finish. Others with nice granite scape. But many were rough in hollow blocks. The epitaphs almost had a common format. The name, date born, and date died. Some lived very long lives. Others left early not even able to get to know the world. I also saw some who died in their early and late 20s. It must really be so painful for their loved ones.

I was imagining what's inside each grave. Many might just be bones. Some may just be beginning to disintegrate. Then questions rushed into my mind. Where could probably be their souls? Do they ever feel that this day is their special day? When will they ever 'come back' to life? Would it be true that when Christ comes back again, the bodies of those who have died will resurrect again? What happens to those who had been cremated?

Ahhh... by faith we know that Christ showed us a resurrection. And it is this same faith that gives us hope that someday we would live again.