During the past couple of weeks, I have been putting together the new Altar List of the Dead. It is such a joy to open the envelopes parishioners send in and to read the names
recorded by yourselves. There is a huge variety in how long or short the list of names are. Some people simply mention one or two names, a spouse, a child, parents or grandparents. Others list generations of the family who have died often alongside neighbours and friends. I’m always touched when I see the names of priests and religious, who depend on being remembered by those they lived among and served, Fr Tony’s name is often mentioned. The overall feeling I get is one of connection, recalling the past, holding the memories of beloved people and the underlying expression of hope that they, and all the faithful departed are at peace. I mentioned at Mass recently that I had read a beautiful reflection on death by Sr Stan, now herself numbered among the departed. In it she quotes Peig Sayers, another wise Kerry woman, who when asked where is heaven, replied, heaven is just a few inches above the head of the tallest man! In this comment she captures a really important part of Irish spirituality, that the dead are not far away from us, that their closeness continues to console and sustain those who grieve them. Lighting a candle to remember them points us towards heaven and affirms our hope that God in his mercy will deliver them from death and carry their souls into the light of his presence for ever.
May they rest in peace.
