The English language reminds us that to remember is more than an amorphous, fleeting thought. To re-member someone who has died is to affirm their continued presence in our community and to acknowledge the reality that their memory, legacy and the impact of their death form an integral part of our life. For those who are Catholic, our faith speaks of the communion of saints — our enduring connection to those who have died. We verbally profess our belief in the communion of saints at Mass, but we also live and practice it each day, often unwittingly. Were I to count and record the number of times each day that I recall — usually without trying — my father who died twenty years ago, my grandmother, aunt or others in my family, I think the number would surprise me.
When we mark Remembrance Day each year and when parishes invite members of the community to record the names of deceased friends, family and those who died in war in a Book of Remembrance, we affirm the genuine presence of the deceased in our lives. We know instinctively that this presence is real and that it isn’t a product of our willpower. What is a matter of choice is to acknowledge that presence individually and as a community.
Christopher Adam
(Illustration: Tom Swinnen)