Sharing Our Journey of Loss and Love

Wednesday Wisdom: Sharing Our Journey of Loss and Love.

This past Sunday, St. Ignatius Parish had a beautiful “Mass of Remembrance.” As I entered the church, my heart felt tender. This year, I would be remembering my mother, who had died a few weeks ago. I immediately went to the communal altar, and placed my mother’s picture among those faithfully departed. I looked at her smiling at me. My eyes were shaking with tears. She was now one of the dead, not the living, and I felt such comfort in placing her picture among the hundreds of other pictures of loved ones.

The church was packed and the pews were full. I sat at the end of one towards the front of the main altar. I wanted to crawl inside myself, the vulnerability of losing my mother felt so raw and deep. Yet, as the mass started, I felt carried by the presence of God, by the voices of others praying and remembering their loved ones. We give each other courage and strength. Grief rips us open, but we are carried by one another.

The living memories of our ancestors are nurtured by prayer, by gratitude, and by deepening affection. I’m so grateful for rituals like All Souls Day, for a chance to feel the loss of our loved ones with community, and for remembering that their love lives on, in us, through us and with us. Love is  unstoppable!

Pause and Practice: 

• Remember a loved one today
• Remember five things you are grateful for that person