Greetings, SBT Readers!

Wandering through the village cemetery at Mellieha, Malta, I am struck by the hundreds of photos that line the cemetery walls and the tombs. Each photo tells a story; each inscription bears a name, date of birth and death, or sometimes just the birthdate and the age of the deceased when they were called from this world. Most of the tombs belong to those who reached a venerable age, but, as might be expected, there are those who died young or, in a few cases, very young. For the most part, the names read like entries in a Maltese phone book — Agius, Borg, Cassar, Delicata, Ellul, Fenech, etc. — but there are also foreigners interspersed among the locals. Plastic flowers abound, while heaps of fresh flowers adorn the graves of the recently buried. According to the sexton, there is a burial every day-- and little room for more photographs.

As he sweeps away dried rose petals and other debris, a woman leaves hastily, sobbing out loud. Then, two young women enter the cemetery, stepping over some graves to reach a wall photo at the far end. "That was my Nanna, poor thing," one says to the other in Maltese. They pause to photograph the memorial plaque and to take selfies before going on their way.

I continue to browse through the memorials. None of my relatives are buried here, but I feel a sense of connection to this community of souls and all who mourn them. Each of them was a product of their times; each of them faced their share of challenges and triumphs. Some succeeded in transcending the lot life dealt them; others may have made life difficult for themselves and others. Either way, they knew the prayers and kept the feasts; they turned to the Virgin Mary in times of need and made solemn vows in return for her intercession. They attended Mass and were devoted to the parish festas, especially those of their titular saints...

However imperfect they have been in this world, this community of souls now abides with God in love "because grace and mercy are with his holy ones, and his care is with his elect" (Wis 3:1-9). Baptized into the death of Christ, they have been raised into newness of life, becoming a new creation in Him (Rom 6:3-9). There is solace in these thoughts. I continue my graveyard meditation, remembering my parents, grandparents, sister, uncles, aunts, cousins, friends, and the rest of my spiritual ancestors. They are gone but not forgotten, present but invisible, living though physically dead-- perhaps more alive than I am as I walk among their tombstones, on this Dia de Los Muertos, this Feast of All Souls...

Many Blessings!

Elizabeth

LINK TO SCRIPTURE READINGS

Jesus said to the crowds:

“Everything that the Father gives me will come to me,

and I will not reject anyone who comes to me,

because I came down from heaven not to do my will,

but the will of the one who sent me.

And this is the will of the one who sent me,

that I should not lose any he gave me,

but that I should raise them on the last day.

For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who sees

the Son and believes in him may have eternal life, and I shall raise them up on the last day.” Jn 6:37-40

Just as there are stages of human development, so, too, there are stages of faith that tend to parallel our development as humans; however, it is possible to be an adult chronologically but to have an infantile level of faith.

Conversely, there are young adults who are spiritually mature – “old souls,” if you will. In his book, Stages of Faith, James Fowler outlines six stages of faith, beginning with the infantile faith of a child and culminating in the universal love that few people ever achieve. Stage Three is what Fowler calls "Synthetic-Conventional Faith," the level of faith that many adults stay locked in for the rest of their lives. At this stage, people believe they earn merit by performing certain tasks or prayers, and that religion is a kind of banking system, with God as the banker who keeps track of all their investments. Authority is located in institutions, organizations, and religious leaders; loyalty to the group and to inherited beliefs brings a sense of safety while "doing things for God" is seen as a means of accruing blessings.

Sadly, those locked into Stage Three thinking tend to believe that they have to earn the afterlife. "Getting to heaven" becomes a serious preoccupation, and instead of focusing on deepening their relationship with God in the here and now, they busy themselves with trying to earn God's approval. In effect, they reduce God to a Father Christmas/ Santa Claus figure who dispenses blessings to those who perform the most devotions or acts of service.

Jesus presents a very different reality. "Heaven" is not earned but is freely bestowed, for God desires that all should be raised on the Last Day and that no one should be lost. Mature faith is not so much about our actions but involves our openness to God's grace. St. Paul reminds us that "Hope does not disappoint because the love of God has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us" (Rom 5:5-11).  Of course, leading lives grounded in love of God and neighbor is the hallmark of Christian living, but so is being accessible to God. If we are so preoccupied with being "busy for God" that we have no time to BE with God, then we will miss the experience of eternal life in the present moment.

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QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION

• Why is it important to celebrate All Saints' Day as well as All Souls' Day?

• What does "eternal life" mean to you?

• How might you be more available to God?

• How do you remember your spiritual ancestors, and why is this important to you?

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