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"I believe in the Holy Catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sin and the resurrection of the body and life everlasting. "

Nowhere in world religions is so much hope expressed in so few words. This part of our Catholic creed inspires during November, which began with All Saints and All Souls Day.

Now is summer's lush life spent. Autumn has displayed her gypsy costumes and life has been harvested from the earth.

The season induces reflection as the earth lies fallow and birds begin their mysterious migration to other lands. The seeds that fall on the earth this autumn will carry their delicate life through winter to resurrection of new life in the spring.

Our funeral liturgy speaks about life that is changed, not ended. November is a time of reflection on the communion of saints, the resurrection of the dead and the promise of life everlasting. Harvest and homecoming are connected. Life and death are partners in the dance.

This month, Mexicans and Guatemalans celebrate Dia de Los Muertos, the Day of the Dead, to honor their ancestors. Far from being a somber and sad day, it is a day of festivity and celebration. Families, vendors, mu-sicians all pour out into streets and cemeteries to be with their beloved deceased.

Tombstones are scrubbed clean, weeds are uprooted and brightly-colored cloths are laid out over the graves. The favorite foods of those who died are placed on top along with fresh cut flowers. Candles are lit and burn day and night.

The entire day is spent there, talking, eating and praying, in communion with loved ones whose spirits are present with them in this celebration. Children fly large kites as if the souls or spirits of their ancestors were hovering above.

Death is mocked as children share candies shaped like skulls. In some communities, parades meander through the crowded streets, carrying a coffin with a mock-smiling corpse in it. People laugh and taunt death that they know is always close by.

It is a celebration of community, communion with the dead and a profession of faith. A wooden cross, a sign of Christian hope, marks the graves.

The celebration is brought into the home as well. Small wood "altarcitos" are set up in a corner, adorned with a bright cloth, candles, a cross, unframed photos of the dead, fruit and bread and some marigold flowers in a small vase. The spirits of the dead are home with them.

This is a ritual I now celebrate at home. Standing near this altar, I realize that only a thin veil separates us from those who have gone on before us.

This November ritual is a reminder of the gift we are to each other in this life. I celebrate the communion of the saints, I have known who are not on any official list of saints, but whose lives embodied the Gospel.

November reminds us of life's gift and brevity. I am renewed in the hope expressed in the Book of Revelation: "He will wipe away all tears from their eyes there will be no more death, and no more mourning or sadness. The world of the past has gone. I am making the whole of creation new" (Rev. 21, 4, 5).

(Father Broderick is a diocesan priest who directs Pueblo to People, the diocesan sister parish project. He serves the liturgical needs for St. Mary's in Granville and has a ministry in Guatemala.)

(11/18/10) [[In-content Ad]]

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