For My Mother: A Prayer on All Souls Day

My mother was born in a small town in South Central Ohio. She lived a difficult life.

She lost her father to tuberculosis when she was still a toddler, shortly after her younger sister was born. Her mother and grandmother struggled to raise the two girls.

As a result of not having the strong, loving influence of her father in her life, she made all the wrong choices when it came to men. The first of which was my father.

She left my father and divorced him when I was fourteen. She moved to St. Petersburg, Florida. I would fly down to reunite with her several months before my 21st birthday. I would move out on my own a year later, making my own bad relationship choices. A few years later, my mother moved with her boyfriend to Ft. Worth, Texas.

One day, my mother telephoned me to say she had kidney problems and was on dialysis.

Eventually, I found myself in a new and better relationship and a few years later, my mother and her boyfriend flew back to Florida to attend my wedding.

The wedding was perfect. I was a little concerned, however, that my mother seemed so tired after receiving her dialysis treatment that week, and when we took her to Tampa International Airport to board her flight back to Fort Worth, I cried. I knew deep down it was because my mother, who loved Florida so much, would never set foot on its sandy soil again. I don't know how I knew. I just did.

My intuition turned out to be unhappily correct. My mother passed away on November 2nd, 1999. My husband, who was Catholic (although he did not practice his faith very much) explained the significance of this day. Since I've become a Catholic myself recently, I understand it a bit more.

Today is All Souls Day, the day that we pray for those we have loved (family and friends) who have passed away and for all of the souls in Purgatory who are being cleansed of their venial sins. When they have been thus "purged", they will enter into Heaven. The Church has placed this day following the Feast of All Saints, which focuses on remembering those who are already enjoying the Beatific Vision.

Because my mother left this Earth on All Souls Day, I feel even more inclined to remember to pray for her on this day. I also pray for my husband, who died from liver disease a little more than a year after my mother.

I try to remember to say vocal (spontaneous) prayers on this day for all of the people I have known who have passed away. I found the following prayer online when I was researching for this blog. It is a traditional prayer of the Church that is said on All Souls Day:

"Eternal Rest grant unto them (him/her), O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them (him/her). May they (he/she) rest in peace. Amen."

I'll end with one of my favorite prayers for souls. Many Catholics end their rosary with this one:

"May the divine assistance remain always with us. And may the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen."

I still miss you, Mama.