We remember the dead as God remembers them

(Excerpt from the Homily of Most Reverend Romulo G. Valles, D.D., on the Commemoration of all the Faithful Departed at San Pedro Cathedral Parish, November 2, 2022.)

In the formal term, ang ngalan sa adlaw karon is the commemoration, medyo formal and deep, but we must look for a simple term, for all the faithful departed. Nov. 2 is very different from Nov. 1. Because of other factors, ang atong Nov. 1, all saints’ day, solemnity and Nov. 2, medyo magka sagol. And if I may say so, foremost in the mind sa mga tao especially sa mga Catholic Filipinos, medyo ma overpower ang ka kusog sa kalag-kalag. And then compounded, because of some, for example, ang kalag-kalag i-celebrate nilag Nov. 1 and therefore meaning proper sa Nov. 2 mawala na pud. It is good to be reminded that Nov. 1, and Nov. 2, are two different feasts.

…our concern here is that this feast each has its own blessings, each has its own teaching, each has its own vitamins for our health. Kung ma sipyat ta og makalimtan ang Nov. 1 and focus ta sa Nov. 2 then we are not fed very well. Food for the soul, food for the faith and dili kita ma strengthen.

Today’s focus is kalag-kalag. But notice that this celebration is not exclusive. Ang paghandom sa minatay…almost all cultures across history and the world popular kaayo na they remember the dead.

The first meaning is that we go to the cemetery, we remember the dead because they are dear to us, may pinagsamahan. That is how we relate to them and they to us. Human level, beautiful memories, si lola, lolo, akong amigo, close friends, blood brother, blood sister, akong igsoon, akong anak, akong asawa.

But I have to emphasize pud, even non-believers do that. So it’s good for us today, Nov. 2, to recover the particular flavor why we Catholics, particularly, this is our feast. What is class pa added to the human beautiful remembering. Nice memories, respect for the dead. There is over above that distinct, something that we should recover every November 2nd.

The first prayer, would give us a hint it says, “listen kindly to our prayers, O Lord; and in our faith in your son raised from the dead is deepened. Your son Jesus, we know Him as somebody who rose from the dead. So may our hope of resurrection for your departed servants also find new strength.” That is a particular flavor when we remember the dead today, we remember them as God remembers them. That is in view of the gift of the resurrection. And so, at particular ta ni-ana, mao nay added kay some lagi may go to remember the dead without that very important factor and the very important element. We remember the dead with so much hope for their resurrection.

When we face our dead people, unsay meaning sa imong gihatag? Gi unsa paghandom nimo? Pagadto nato sa patay, we know, palangga kitang tanan sa Ginoo—naay meaning.

Busa karon sa liturgy, nay nag pahinumdom kanato “why this is true?” Niingon ang reading from the Book of Wisdom “the souls of the just are in the hand of God and no torment shall touch them. They seemed in the view of the foolish to be dead and their passing away was thought an affliction and their going forth from us at their destruction. But they are in peace, for if before men, indeed, they may be punished, yet their hope full of immortality.” That is how we look at the people.

St. Paul, in the middle of the reading, moreso the Book of Wisdom, miingon si St. Paul “don’t you know that we are baptized into the death of Christ.” We are all binunyagan and hopefully kanang namatay nga binunyagan is not in the mind of all but for Catholics who go to the cemetery ingon si St. Paul “gibunygan kita ngadto sa kamatayon ni Kristo og sama nga si Kristo gi banhaw, nabanhaw, og mabanhaw usab kita.”

We remember the faithful departed. The grace of baptism and the grace of being the community of the faithful, all the baptized. But more sharply, sa Gospel karon, “this is the will of the one who sent me” Jesus said nga wala g’yuy mawala. Even if we are, to the eyes of those in the world, grabe ang kapildihan sa kamatayon. The will of the father is that we are supposed to enjoy life eternal.