No one mourns the wicked...

I saw a picture today of a dear friend of mine in her Halloween costume, and she was all green!  Seeing the picture, I was reminded of the Wicked Witch in the Wizard of Oz.  Seeing her, reminded me of the song from the recent Broadway musical "Wicked." The song states: No one mourns the wicked... no one cries because their gone, no one lays a lily on their grave...  As I hum this or sing out the parts I remember, I think of the day we celebrate today, All Souls Day, Dia de los Muertos, or Undas.  It is a day in which we gather to commemorate those whose lives have ended.  It is also a day to take some time and pray for those whose lives were less than stellar, those who died alone or abandoned, and quite frankly, all the dead.  It is a time to take a moment for reflection on our own mortality and to remember that as children of God, through the waters of Baptism, we are each granted eternal life, but we also recognize that because of the choices we make in our free will, some will have to face a time of purging as we prepare to join the Heavenly choirs.  Today, we call upon God to grant eternal rest upon the dead, and to let perpetual light shine upon them.  We celebrate and remember that one day, we too will need the prayers of the living as we journey beyond this life and that perhaps, as we pray for all the dead, even the wicked become participants in the mercy of God where life is found.  May the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in Peace.  As always, I love you, God bless you and Memento Mori.  Fr. Rick