Requiem Revisited

November is the month in which the Church devotes herself especially, to the remembrance of those who have died in the previous year. As we remember the communion of saints already "raised to the altar" in Heaven, we also pray for those among the righteous of this life, who nonetheless part from this earth with sufficient imperfections, so as to remain in a state of purification, at the end of which they are released to witness the Beatific Vision, to see their God face to face in Glory. And so, as is said in the Book of Maccabees: "It is a good and holy thought to pray for the dead." The chorus of both the "Church Suffering" (the souls of purgatory) and the "Church Triumphant" (the saints in heaven), along with the choirs of angels, are among the assembled at every Mass with the "Church Militant" (the rest of us).

As we celebrated the Requiem High Mass this evening at Saint John the Beloved, as we listened to Duruflé's Requiem, and the chants foretelling of "that great and terrible day," it brought to mind a tale from my childhood...

The story is told of a man who is dying. His family calls for the parish priest, an old and dear friend of the man. The priest intones the sacred words over the man, who suddenly realizes the end is near. In desperation, he begs the priest, "Father, please, you must remember to pray for me." The priest assures him, "Friend, you know I will." With this assurance, the man breathes his last.

Some time later, the priest is at the altar celebrating Mass. It was in the days when it was common for the priest and the assembled to face the altar in the same direction. They would not have seen the astonishment on the priest's face, as the image of his deceased friend appears before him, and says to the priest, "Father, it has been ten years, and still you have not prayed for me."

The priest, still in amazement, replies, "But, friend, you only died yesterday."
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