Sunday, November 6, 2016

A Meditation for All Saints and All Souls

In this All Saints post, the wonderful artist Vonda Drees used this quote by Henri Nouwen, which has stayed with me all week:

"Remembering the dead is choosing their ongoing companionship."

The larger quote is wonderful too:

"As we grow older we have more and more people to remember, people who have died before us. It is very important to remember those who have loved us and those we have loved. Remembering them means letting their spirits inspire us in our daily lives. They can become part of our spiritual communities and gently help us as we make decisions on our journeys. Parents, spouses, children, and friends can become true spiritual companions after they have died. Sometimes they can become even more intimate to us after death than when they were with us in life.

Remembering the dead is choosing their ongoing companionship."

 Bread for the Journey: A Daybook of Wisdom and Faith; the entry for August 29

Let me see what happens if I add some photos of  Mepkin Abbey burial sites to this Henri Nouwen quote:



The Ongoing Companionship of the Dead


As we grow older we have more and more people to remember, people who have died before us.



It is very important to remember those who have loved us and those we have loved.



Remembering them means letting their spirits inspire us in our daily lives.



They can become part of our spiritual communities and gently help us as we make decisions on our journeys.



Parents, spouses, children, and friends can become true spiritual companions after they have died.




Sometimes they can become even more intimate to us after death than when they were with us in life.



Remembering the dead is choosing their ongoing companionship




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