November is traditionally a month when the Church remembers in a particular way all those who have died. Following the feasts of All Saints and All Souls, we are invited to pray for the faithful departed, entrusting them to the loving mercy of God.

As the Catechism reminds us:

“From the beginning the Church has honoured the memory of the dead and offered prayers in suffrage for them, above all the Eucharistic sacrifice” (CCC 1032).

At Glencairn, prayer for the departed is not confined to November. They are remembered every day in our celebration of the Divine Office. Yet during this month we give particular attention to this prayer, remembering especially those who have gone before us in our monastic community.

One of the special moments of our November 2nd observance is the procession to the cemetery. Taking the place of Terce, the community gathers to visit the graves, where the Abbess blesses each one. As we pray among the graves of our departed sisters, we remember their lives and entrust them anew to God’s mercy, looking forward in hope to the resurrection of the dead.

The beautiful words of the Requiem Mass express this hope:

Requiem aeternam dona eis, Domine, et lux perpetua luceat eis.

Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them.

The Church’s prayer for the dead is always a prayer of love and hope. We remember those who have died, including those who may have no one else to pray for them, confident that in Christ death does not have the final word.

May all the faithful departed rest in peace, and may perpetual light shine upon them. Amen.