We Byzantine Catholics celebrate All Souls' during the Lent before Easter. Every Saturday during the fast, we remember our beloved dead with a parastas, a memorial service with sweet bread and wine. So- celebrating All Souls' with Western-rite Catholics today could be considered a Latinization, rejecting our Byzantine, Eastern culture for the culture that is in the majority. Many Eastern churches celebrate the day, however as a bonus to our traditions. After both Saturday and Sunday Liturgies, we celebrated and remembered our dead with a parastas. And yes, we will do it again during the Great Lent as well as for any special, specific anniversary that a parishioner has. It is good to pray for our dead. |
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
Praying for the dead
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I loved when they had the special day for all deceased mothers. It seemed so organic as does this the All Soul's Day remembrance.
ReplyDeleteI wish we prayed for them more! Where is the picture from?
ReplyDeleteThe picture is from a book for my ESL students. Most of them don't celebrate the holiday- which is a pity- I think this version of All Souls' is my favorite part of Mexican culture (well, that and tamales)
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