All Soul’s Day – Remembering our Loved Ones

Today is All Soul’s Day (commemoration of the faithful departed) in the Catholic Church.

In these photos, you’ll see banners that have the names of all of those who died in the last year in the church. Loved ones walk down the aisle carrying a rose (the rose ceremony) symbolic of their loved one who passed and the priest reads their name to the congregation. It’s a sweet and sacred way of remembering our loved ones who passed on before us.

I remember the year my sweetheart went to heaven, and I saw his name on the banner. It was quite surreal for me. How could his name be up there? I shared that with a dear friend this morning, whose husband’s name was up there this year. We both agreed…. “We’re still here and God isn’t finished with us yet, so we’ll rejoice and get excited for the day we get to reunite with them!”

But, the sweetest moments of this Sunday…..and every Sunday, is my precious godson, Owen, and his little sister, Clare, always sitting beside me in church. They both cuddle and hug me with arms around me — throughout the service — no shame at all about what anyone would think — they just love me. I know it! It’s been that way for the almost 4 years since my sweetheart passed away. Nine-year old Owen has become my little “sweetheart” in church. And, when he embraces me and tells me he loves me, I tell him I love him, and I also feel a gentle kiss from heaven and I whisper back to heaven “I love you, too!”

How blessed I am to live in such sweet times — where I treasure the past, and I live so sweetly today! God does have a special love for widows. I can vouch for that — I sense His presence and love in the smallest, sweetest and tenderest times. And, I’m on constant look-out for those moments! Today was one of those.