Months Mind Mass
We recently observed a Month’s Mind Mass. It is a requiem mass offered about a month after the death of a loved one. It is a sort of ‘bringing to mind’ the soul of the one who has died. It is an ancient English Catholic practice (Venerable Bede writes about it in the early 8th century). I have discovered how easy it is to forget that many people continue to mourn the death of their loved ones long after others have moved on. Keeping the Month’s Mind Mass is a beautiful and comforting way to remind the community of Saint Paul’s exhortation to “weep with those who weep.” In the Book of Deuteronomy we read, “the Israelites wept for Moses in the plains of Moab thirty days; then the days of weeping and mourning…were ended.”
The death of a member of the community affects everyone, not just the family and close friends. Holy Mother Church has buried one of Her children, and as any mother would, She grieves. Black vestments is an option for this Mass. Black is the color of mourning, penance, and humility. Black vestments remind us of the reality of death and the need for repentance in our own life. I am grateful that we keep both those practices at Saint Margaret of Scotland Catholic Church. These practices are acts of integrity. While they both acknowledge that all shall die, they also proclaim that those who die in the Lord shall not die forever. And they are, to my way of thinking, a helpful reminder.