The Day of the Dead

Note. – At the session of the Society of November 2, Charles Nodier, asked to continue the work he had begun, replies:

“My dear friends, allow me this evening to speak to you of another subject. Next time I shall continue the work begun.

“Today is a date so personally consecrated to us that we call your attention to death and to the prayers claimed by the majority of those who went before you. This week is a period of fraternization between Heaven and Earth, between the living and the dead. You ought to occupy yourselves with us more particularly, and with yourselves as well; for, meditating upon this thought, that soon, for you as for us, the living will chant prayers for your soul, you ought to make yourselves better. According to the manner in which you have lived here below, you shall be received before God. What is life, after all? A very brief migration of the Spirit upon the Earth; a time, nonetheless, in which it can accumulate a treasure of graces or prepare itself for cruel torments. Think on it, think of Heaven, and life, whatever the life you lead, will seem to you quite mild. Charles Nodier. n Concerning his communication, the following questions were put to the Spirit:

1st. Are the Spirits today more numerous in the cemeteries than usual?

Answer. – At this season we are more at ease beside our earthly remains, because your thoughts, your prayers are there with us.

2nd. Do the Spirits who, on these days, come to their tombs, beside which no one prays, suffer at seeing themselves forsaken, while others have relatives and friends who bring them a proof of remembrance?

Answer. – Are there not pious persons who pray for all the dead in general? Well then! those prayers reach the forgotten Spirit and are, for him, the celestial manna, which fell as much for the lazy as for the active man. Prayer is for the known as for the unknown. God distributes it equally, and the good Spirits who no longer need it give it back to those to whom it may be necessary. 3rd. We know that the formula of prayers is indifferent; nevertheless, many persons have need of a formula to fix their ideas. We would be grateful to you if you would dictate one to this end. We shall all join in thought, to apply it to the Spirits who may have need of it. Answer. – I am willing too.

“God, creator of the Universe, deign to have pity on your creatures; consider their weaknesses; shorten their earthly trials, if they are beyond their strength; have compassion on the sufferings of those who have left the Earth and inspire in them the desire to progress toward the good.” 4th. Certainly there are here several Spirits to whom we may be useful. We shall ask that they make themselves known.

Answer. – What a request you make! You will be assailed.

5th. We are in no way frightened by that. If we cannot hear them all, what we say for one will serve for the others.

Answer. – Well then! do what your heart dictates to you.

An appeal having been made, without particular designation, to one of the Spirits present who wished to communicate in order to claim our assistance, there manifested itself that of a very well-known personage, dead two years, revealing sentiments very different from those he had in life, and which one was far from suspecting. [1]

[see Charles Nodier.]