To avoid the Undas crowd, we decided to visit our beloved departed at a Cebu private cemetery before 8 A.M., October 31.
However, there were a number of individuals/families already there ahead of us, silently/merrily honoring their beloved departed.
At this time of the year, cemeteries transform into colorful/lively parks filled with flowers/plants/candles, the beloved dead deeply remembered/embedded in the hearts of the living.
A young man approached us as we headed for our sister and her husband’s site and asked what name we were looking for.
We replied that it was okay, we knew their location. He persisted, showed us a cleaning tool, asked if he could clean their site. We politely thanked him and declined his offer.
As we moved on to look for our aunt’s site, a group/barkada of about five or six young boys, probably neighbors from a nearby community, approached/asked the same question.
An elderly joined them shortly and asked the same question.
Is this offer to help search for the tomb of the departed inside a private cemetery a new gimmick among those who “peddle” their services during undas?
You may have also come across those who come dressed in a priestly robe, complete with holy water who pray for/bless the departed, for a fee.
Regular tomb cleaners are there, before/during/after undas, paid for their services by the departed’s relatives. Close to November 1-2, however, the number of these tomb cleaners increases significantly.
Among the crowd in the cemeteries during undas are various other diverse peddlers of services and goods as well.
The ambulant peddlers move throughout the cemeteries, actively on the lookout for customers and buyers of their goods like the vendors in stalls inside/outside cemeteries.
The living sustained by the dead/the dead providing for the living/the dead kept alive by the living, during Undas.
Did I observe correctly that this year, there seemed to have been less visitors at cemeteries, fewer passengers at the ports and terminals, less who travelled back to their hometowns to visit their beloved departed?
Tour drivers, flower dealers, among many others, lamented the slack in services/sales.
Although late in the night, many flowers and candles remained unsold, stalls and stores remained open during the Undas, hoping for more customers to drop by.
If inflation persists, if our country’s economy and governance continue to be problematic, will there be more living ending up dead from now till the next undas?
God, please come and save our needy, our country!
Until the next undas, allow us to share with you all this beautiful, touching prayer of love/remembrance for our beloved departed read by our cousin Jing Uy: “Heavenly Father, today, we remember with tender hearts our beloved family members who have gone ahead of us.
“Though they are no longer physically present in our lives, their love, kindness, and memories remain deeply cherished in our hearts.
“We thank You, Lord, for the gift of their lives, for the moments we shared, and for the love that continues to bind us together beyond the boundaries of this earthly life.
“We entrust our departed loved ones to Your infinite mercy and loving care. May they find eternal peace in Your presence, where there is no more pain, sorrow, or suffering, but only everlasting joy in Your heavenly kingdom.
“Comfort our hearts when we miss them, strengthen our faith when we feel their absence, and remind us that death does not diminish the love we hold for one another.
“May their lives continue to inspire us to walk in faith, live in love, forgive generously, and cherish the blessings of each passing day.
“Unil we meet again in Your eternal home, may Your perpetual light shine upon them.
“In Jesus' precious name, we pray. Amen.”
BLURB: “If inflation persists will there be more living ending up dead from now till the next undas?”