Cemetery visitors told: Focus more on prayers

CEBU – “The dead cannot anymore see the light of the candles nor can they smell the scent of the flowers. The public must focus more on prayers during the observance of the All Saints’ and All Souls’ Days,” this according to Cebu Archdiocese Media Liaison officer, Msgr. Achilles Dakay.

Dakay pointed out that it is not wrong to observe the practices of lighting up candles and offering flowers to dead loved ones but instead of prioritizing such, the public are called to be in “prayer mode during this declared day for the dead.”

He said that prayer is the very essence of the occasion because through prayers, we ask for the purification of souls of those who have already passed away.

“Not all people die perfect. Some have to go through the process of purification. But because they could not anymore ask for it, we do it on their behalf through our prayers,” Dakay said.

Also, Dakay said that people should not only troop to cemeteries on the observance of All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day as they have all the time of the year to visit their dead loved ones.

Further, he said that there are a lot of us who are still to be reminded that we are to refrain from playing loud music or from creating noise in the cemetery which distracts the supposed prayer mode of the place.

“Some also have this habit of eating the food they have offered at the tombs even before they have prayed for the dead,” Dakay said. – Jessica Ann Pareja/MEEV (THE FREEMAN)