AFTER OFFICIATING THE Holy Mass, Fr. Juan Navarro solemnly sprinkled holy water on each of the altars, in memory of the deceased loved ones.
At Christ Cathedral, the significant commemoration of Catholics from various parishes honored their deceased in a culturally relevant and spiritually enriching way.
“May the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace,” said Fr. Navarro at each altar mounted on different levels.
That is a phrase that is recited in the Commemoration of All Souls, also known as All Souls’ Day, which is celebrated on Nov. 2.
“Grant them, Lord, eternal rest and let perpetual light shine upon them. May the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace,” he continued.
FR. JUAN NAVARRO BLESSES ALTARS DURING NIGHT OF ALTARS HELD AT THE CHRIST CATHEDRAL CAMPUS. PHOTOS BY IAN TRAN/DIOCESE OF ORANGE
And the attendees responded: “Amen.”
Organized by the Hispanic Ministry of the Diocese of Orange, directed by Armando Cervantes, the commemoration prior to the Day of the Dead took place on Oct. 25.
“It has been a great opportunity for new generations of Hispanics born in the United States to join our traditions,” said Cervantes.
“Sometimes we don’t understand the meaning because the secular world has stolen them from us, but when the beauty of faith is included, everything changes.”
The Catholic Church teaches that prayers for the dead can help them atone for their sins and enter heaven (2 Maccabees 12:38-46).
Although the roots of the altars’ creation are rooted in the ancient indigenous traditions of Mexico, primarily the Aztecs, the festivities have evolved to incorporate elements of Catholicism.
After the arrival of the Spanish conquistadors, the Franciscan, Dominican and Augustinian friars integrated into indigenous practices the Catholic observance of All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day, which are remembered on Nov. 1 and 2.
THE NIGHT OF ALTARS EVENT HELD ON OCT. 25 FEATURED FACE PAINTING FOR YOUNG ATTENDEES.
“Our loved ones are always on our minds, and we know that, especially these days, we can say that the love of God is greater than death,” Fr. Juan Navarro stressed.
In fact, he stated that on those dates the victory of God is precisely celebrated, and, as a family and community of faith, thanks are given to God for everything he has done for each of his children.
In ancient Greece, the resting place of the deceased was called a necropolis. It was a large cemetery with funerary monuments. The Greek word nekropolis means “city of the dead.”
At present it is called a cemetery, whose meaning is “bedroom.”
“For this reason, we always say that those who rest in Christ sleep in Christ for the resurrection, and may the Lord awaken them and call them to life as He did with Lazarus (John 11, 1-5),” said Fr. Navarro. On the highest level of the altar of the Church of Saint John the Baptist, in Costa Mesa, Sr. Bertha Rafael, of the Congregation of Discalced Missionaries of the
Blessed Sacrament, placed two first-degree relics: a hair of Saint Carlo Acutis and another of the Blessed María Inés Teresa del Sagrado Sacramento, founder of her congregation.
And, in the middle of two Easter candles, she placed a photograph showing her late father, Daniel Rafael. She also prayed for the repose of the souls of her niece Adriana and her sister Trini.
“Praying for our dead is a dogma of faith,” said Sr. Bertha Rafael. “For us, life does not end after death, but we are still on the way to reach heaven, which is our goal and the members of the Church Militant and the Church Triumphant pray for the Purgative Church, and the Purgative Church prays for the Church Militant.” Mónica Rivera, lay director of the Christianity Cursillo Movement, expressed that praying for the souls in purgatory is a duty of every Christian.
“Many souls are not yet in heaven. Yes, they are purifying themselves, and with our prayers we can help them so that they can see God face to face,” she said. “Therefore, we must offer sacrifices for those souls: Masses, Rosaries, Holy Hours and Eucharists.”
In preparing the altars, where our intentions and prayers are physically represented, the parishioners presented altars of three to seven levels, and are made up of: water, which represents the purity of the soul and remembers that Christ Jesus quenches our thirst and that He It is the living water.
Candles symbolize light, faith and hope. The number of candles may correspond to the deceased. Purple candles indicate mourning and those that form a cross represent faith (Matthew 5, 13-16; 1 John 1,7).
The cempasuchil flowers, or flower of the dead, add festivity to the altar; It guides souls with its color and aroma, forming paths of petals.
The Holy Rosary is a symbol of faith and intercession for the deceased, and the crucifix reflects the Christian faith and the sacrifice of Jesus, remembering the promise of the resurrection.
Thus, the celebration of the Day of the Dead is not only a tribute to those who have passed away, but also a reaffirmation of faith, recognizing death as a part of life’s journey and maintaining a spiritual bond with those who came before us, to strengthen our relationship with the communion of saints.