WHEN I WAS IN JAPAN
THERE WAS A WEEK LONG FESTIVAL IN AUGUST
CALLED OBON
WHICH IS A FESTIVAL FOR THE DEAD
DURING THAT TIME
THE JAPANESE BELIEVED THE DEAD CAME BACK
TO VISIT THEIR FAMILIES
THERE WERE PLACES SET AT THE TABLE FOR THEM.
EACH NIGHT THERE WERE BONFIRES LIT
AND EVERYONE WHO LIVED IN THE VILLAGE
DANCED AROUND THEM
BUT IT WAS A SPECIAL DANCE
BECAUSE THE STEPS RESEMBLED THE MOTIONS
PEOPLE MADE WHILE WORKING
SO THERE WERE MOTIONS FOR FISHING
OR DIGGING OR SEWING OR COOKING
THESE MOTIONS IMITATED THE LIVES OF THE DEAD
WHEN THEY WERE LIVING
I LEARNED THE DANCES.
AND MY JAPANESE FRIENDS AND I
WOULD DANCE THE NIGHT AWAY
THEY WERE HAPPY THAT I WAS WITH THEM
BUT MORE ESPECIALLY THEY WERE HAPPY
THAT THEIR BELOVED DEAD WERE VISITING THEM
AT THE END OF OBON
CANDLES WERE PLACED ON TINY RAFTS
AND FLOATED OUT TO SEA
THEY WERE TO SHOW THE DEAD
BACK TO THEIR RESTING PLACE
IT WAS A TENDER BEAUTIFUL MOMENT
TO FEEL THEIR LOVE
FOR THEIR ANCESTORS
AND TO SEE THE THOUSANDS OF CANDLES
MAKING THE RIVER A GOLDEN PATH
ANY READER
OF NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC
KNOWS THAT FESTIVALS OF THE DEAD
ARE COMMON TO ALL CULTURES.
MANY OF THE FESTIVALS ARE KIND AND GENTLE
AS IN JAPAN
THE DEAD ARE NOT FEARED.
IN OTHER CULTURES
THE DEAD ARE THE GHOSTS
THE GOBLINS THE WITCHES
THE THINGS TO BE FEARED IN THE NIGHT
IN EUROPE
AS THE PAGANS THAT LIVED THERE
WERE CONVERTED TO CHRISTIANITY
THEY BROUGHT WITH THEM
THIS FEAR OF THE DEAD
THE CHURCH TO COUNTERACT THIS FEAR
INITIATED THE FEAST OF ALL SAINTS
FOR NO ONE WHO HAS DIED IN CHRIST
SHOULD BE FEARED
THERE ALSO EVOLVED
THE CONCEPT
OF THE COMMUNION OF SAINTS
WHICH IS PART OF THE CREED
WE SAY ON SUNDAYS
SIMPLY PUT
THE COMMUNION OF SAINTS MEANS
THAT ALL PEOPLE SAVED BY CHRIST'S BLOOD
BELONG TO ONE BODY.
THOSE WHO REST IN HIS BOSOM
AND THOSE OF US
WHO ARE STILL PILGRIMS ON THE WAY
THE LIVING AND THE DEAD
ARE ONE BODY
ONE COMMUNION,
ONE COMMUNITY
REMNANTS OF FEAR OF THE DEAD
LINGER IN THE COSTUMES WE WEAR
ON HALLOWEEN
GHOSTS GOBLINS SATAN
HALLOWEEN MEANS ALL HALLOW'S EVE
OR THE NIGHT BEFORE ALL HALLOWS DAY
HALLOWED AS IN THE LORDS PRAYER
MEANS BLESSED
.
SO ANOTHER NAME
FOR THIS FEAST DAY
WOULD BE
ALL THE BLESSED ONE'S DAY
AND WHO ARE THESE BLESSED ONES.
THEY ARE OUR PARENTS
GRANDPARENTS, FRIENDS, RELATIVES,
SPOUSES,
SOMETIMES SADLY OUR CHILDREN
THEY ARE RULERS OF THE WORLD
THEY ARE THE POOR.
THEY ARE THE BRIGHT
THEY ARE THE ILLITERATE.
THEY ARE THE BOLD
THE BASHFUL
THE SAINT OCCASIONALLY
BUT MOST OFTEN THE SINNER
BUT THEY ARE ALL JOINED NOW
AND HELD SAFELY IN GOD'S HAND
THEY ARE YOU
AND I
WHEN OUR PILGRIMAGE ENDS
BUT BEFORE OUR PILGRIMAGE ENDS
WE MUST LIVE OUR LIFE.
WALK THE ROAD BEFORE US
IN SUNNY OR RAINY WEATHER,
ON FLAT GROUND OR UP A MOUNTAIN
OR EVEN DOWN INTO A DEEP VALLEY.
HOPEFULLY WE WILL WALK WITH FRIENDS
OR LOVED ONES
BUT EVEN WHEN WE WALK ALONE
THERE WILL BE TWO SETS OF FOOTPRINTS
BECAUSE JESUS IS WALKING THE ROAD WITH US,
AND JESUS GAVE US A CODE OF CONDUCT
FOR THAT ROAD
THEY ARE CALLED THE BEATITUDES.
AND THEY ARE
HOW HAPPY ARE THE POOR IN SPIRIT
THE POOR IN SPIRIT
THOSE WHO DO NOT CRAVE
MONEY
POSSESSIONS
POWER
BUT USE
WHAT GOD HAS GIVEN THEM
GENEROUSLY
JESUS SAYS
HAPPY ARE THE POOR IN SPIRIT,
THEIRS IS THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN
HAPPY THE GENTLE
THEY SHALL HAVE THE EARTH
FOR THEIR HERITAGE
HAPPY
THOSE WHO MOURN
THEY SHALL BE COMFORTED
HAPPY THOSE WHO HUNGER
AND THIRST FOR WHAT IS RIGHT
THEY SHALL BE SATISFIED
HAPPY THE MERCIFUL
THEY SHALL HAVE MERCY SHOWN THEM
HAPPY THE PURE IN HEART
THEY SHALL SEE GOD
HAPPY THE PEACEMAKERS
THEY SHALL BE CALLED
CHILDREN OF GOD
HAPPY THOSE WHO ARE PERSECUTED
IN THE CAUSE OF RIGHT
THEIRS IS THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN
IN THIS SEASON
THE SEASON OF AUTUMN
AS THE DAYS GROW SHORTER
AS THE COLORS OF THE TREES
GO FROM GOLD TO BROWN TO BARE
AND THE WIND HAS A BITE TO IT
THAT GOES THROUGH US,
WE ARE REMINDED
OF THE FINALITY OF OUR LIVES
IN THIS SEASON
THE SEASON OF AUTUMN
WE ARE ALSO ASKED
TO REMEMBER OUR DEAD
IN THE TV. SHOW "ARCHIE BUNKER"
AFTER EDITH HIS WIFE DIED,
AFTER THE FUNERAL
ARCHIE SPIES HER SLIPPER
UNDER THEIR BED AND HE CRIES
I DIDN'T HAVE TIME TO SAY GOODBYE
.
WE ARE GIVEN THAT OPPORTUNITY THIS DAY
TO DO THAT
TO SAY WE ARE GRATEFUL
FOR THE LOVE THEY GAVE US
FOR THE EXAMPLE THEY GAVE US
FOR THE LAUGHTER AND THE TEARS
THEY GAVE US.
NOT THAT THEY NEED TO HEAR IT.
THERE IS NO PAIN WHERE THEY ARE.
BUT WE
NEED TO SAY IT.
THANK YOU
FOR ALL YOU MEANT TO ME.
THANK YOU
FOR ALL YOU MEAN TO ME.
MAY I BE WORTHY OF YOUR LOVE.
AND IF THERE SHOULD BE SOMEONE
WITH WHOM
THERE WERE ANGRY WORDS
NEVER CALLED BACK
NOW IS THE TIME
FOR FORGIVENESS
AGAIN NOT THAT THE DEAD NEED IT
BUT WE NEED IT.
WE NEED TO SEND FORGIVENESS
IT WILL GO FROM US
LIKE A CANDLE
ON A RIVER
MAKING THE RIVER GOLD.
FINALLY
THERE IS IN MOST OF OUR LIVES
THOSE PEOPLE WHO HAVE DIED
HAVING LIVED A LIFE
THAT WE FEEL
COULD HAVE BEEN BETTER
AND THAT THOUGHT
LIES UNEASY
ON OUR HEARTS
LET US REMEMBER
THAT GOD'S LOVE AND MERCY
IS FAR GREATER
THAN OUR ABILITY
TO COMPREHEND IT
ON THIS AUTUMN DAY
CLOSE TO WINTER
MAY GOD'S LOVE
KEEP US WARM.
AMEN
FRANK A VOLLMER
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