To Remember and to Give Thanks

As we move through the seasons of the Church year, the liturgical calendar provides opportunities to reflect on the many important aspects of our life of faith. When people are asked what makes November special, many immediately think of Thanksgiving Day. But as we begin this month, the Church invites us to do something very special: to remember and to give thanks.

As we celebrate All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day, we naturally think of those who have touched our lives and who have gone before us. Many parishes also celebrate a special Remembrance Mass, honoring parishioners and loved ones who have died during the past year. November brings memories of people whose presence we still miss and whose influence continues to shape our lives.

Remembrance is a beautiful gift. We remember people because they mattered to us. We remember their smiles, kindness, wisdom, sacrifices, and, most importantly, the love they shared with us. We remember the lessons they taught us and the ways they helped shape our lives. And when we remember, we give thanks.

For Christians, however, remembrance is more than simply looking backward. Our faith teaches us that death does not have the final word. We believe that those who have died in Christ remain part of the Communion of Saints, and we entrust them to the mercy and love of God.

All Saints’ Day reminds us of the countless men and women who have gone before us in faith and now share in God’s glory. All Souls’ Day calls us to pray for those who have died, entrusting them to God’s mercy and asking that they may share fully in the joy of eternal life. These celebrations encourage us not simply to mourn, but also to hope.

Perhaps nowhere is the Christian meaning of remembrance more beautifully expressed than at Mass. At the Last Supper, Jesus took bread and wine and told His disciples, “Do this in memory of me.” We hear these words at every celebration of the Eucharist. But what does it mean to remember Jesus?

The Eucharist is more than recalling an event that happened nearly 2,000 years ago. At Mass, Christ makes present the mystery of His saving Death and Resurrection. We gather around the same Lord who shared the Last Supper with His disciples, and we receive the same Christ who gave Himself for us on the Cross.

Every Mass, therefore, is an act of remembrance and thanksgiving. The word Eucharist comes from a Greek word meaning “thanksgiving.” As we celebrate the Eucharist, we remember Christ’s sacrifice, give thanks for His love, and receive the gift of His presence among us.

This November, as we remember those whom we have loved and lost, we might ask ourselves: What am I most thankful for about them? What did their lives teach me? How did God work through them to bless my life? Perhaps we can bring these memories to the altar.

We remember our loved ones by speaking their names, sharing their stories, and cherishing photographs and memories. But we also remember them by praying for them and continuing the good they began.

At the Eucharist, we pray for the faithful departed and entrust them to God’s loving care. We are reminded that Heaven and earth meet in Christ and that death does not have the final word. Our hope rests in the promise of the Resurrection and the eternal life Christ has won for us.

May this month of remembrance fill our hearts with gratitude for those who have gone before us, compassion for those who grieve, and the Christian hope that one day, through Christ, we will be reunited with those we love in the presence of God.

Until then, we remember. We give thanks. We pray. And we place our hope in Christ.

By Fr. Stanley Moczydlowski, Pastor of St. Benedict, Mohnton. Photo: Flowers are seen on a bench during a remembrance ceremony. (CNS photo/Gregory A. Shemitz)