SPECIAL LESSON:

ALL SOULS DAY ANCESTOR VENERATION

Catholics and Christians Tradition

November 1 (All Saints Day) and November 2 (All Souls Day) are special days for us Filipino Catholics. These are the days of the year when most of us will go visit our beloved departed and meet with our relatives in the cemetery.

WHY DO WE CELEBRATE THESE FEASTS?

The Catholic Church believes that EVERYONE
(living people, saints in heaven and our departed)

is a member of the Family of God.

That is why, if we pray for ourselves, for the other living people on earth, we also pray for our beloved departed.

ALL SAINTS DAY - We ask the intercession of the saints in heaven so that by their closeness to Christ , we too may grow closer to Him.

ALL SOULS DAY we honor our dead by praying and offering our sacrifices for the forgiveness of sins.

CHINESE TRADITION
Ancestor veneration is a ritual practice that is based on the belief that dead family members are still alive in our hearts and continue to touch our lives today by the goodness they have shared to us when they were still alive.

Being Chinese, it is possible that the remains of their departed are in their temples or for some in their homes.

Offerings are offered to the deceased to show respect and love.

The Catholic Church celebrates the All Saints Day and All Souls Day by offering prayers and sacrifices (Masses) for all the dead.

IN XAVIER SCHOOL..

Questions to think about:

1. Why do we remember and respect our beloved dead?

2. What are their lasting legacies that we want to continue?

November 1 and 2 SHOULD NOT be treated as days of scaring people. These are holy and important days of giving respect, and showing love not only to our own departed, but to all the people who went back to our Creator already.