Yes. It is common.We have a pastor who has been in our parish for about 2 years. He has this book that he calls the Book of Life, that he puts out in church (near the St. Joseph and St. Mary statues). He encourages us all to write our deceased loved ones names down in the Book of Life. Is this a common thing - - I’m not really sure what this is meant to accomplish. Maybe it just encourages us to think of and pray for our deceased family members.
November is the month dedicated to the Holy Souls in Purgatory. In parishes where I serve, the parishioners may turn in lists with the names of their loved ones. The lists are bundled together and placed on the altar – specific Masses are offered for them throughout the month but those listed are also remembered in all the Masses during the month.We have a pastor who has been in our parish for about 2 years. He has this book that he calls the Book of Life, that he puts out in church (near the St. Joseph and St. Mary statues). He encourages us all to write our deceased loved ones names down in the Book of Life. Is this a common thing - - I’m not really sure what this is meant to accomplish. Maybe it just encourages us to think of and pray for our deceased family members.
Yes, it’s very common, but it’s not merely for us to remember, but the Masses for the Dead celebrated on November 2nd are offered for the souls of those whose names are written in the book. This allows the priest to make the intention specific for the Mass (as contrasted, with, say for “all” the souls in Purgatory, which every Mass covers by default anyway), without having to have to recall all the names. So he makes the intention, at least virtually, to offer the Mass “specifically” for the dead listed in the book.We have a pastor who has been in our parish for about 2 years. He has this book that he calls the Book of Life, that he puts out in church (near the St. Joseph and St. Mary statues). He encourages us all to write our deceased loved ones names down in the Book of Life. Is this a common thing - - I’m not really sure what this is meant to accomplish. Maybe it just encourages us to think of and pray for our deceased family members.
Yes, we had that in our parish for a while. Each year I would update the last page to add the names of those who had died in the last year. We’d also add blank pages so the PIP could add names of those they wanted us to pray for.Right. In many parishes, the “Book of Life” contains the names of all people whose funerals were held in the parish.
Every year on All Saints and/or All Souls, the parish my wife and I belong to reads the list of all the people added to the Book of Life in the past year during the liturgy - and since it’s a fairly large parish, the reading can take about 10-15 minutes to get through - as the list includes not only the names of the people who died, but the dates of their deaths. And the Book of Life is moved from its general resting place (in the parish vestibule) to next to the baptismal font for the duration of the month of November.
Yes - - this is what I was feeling somehow, that I can’t sign up all my dead relatives to automatically be in heaven. “Book of the Dead” would sound awfully harsh to all those people who have the Spirit of Vatican II, I suspect.The Book of Life is the heavenly “roster” of the elect in Christ (cf. Rev 3 and 20). Since the fate of the deceased remains uncertain until we encounter them at the Judgment, it seems rather presumptuous to inscribe them in a book with such a title. Book of the Dead/Departed (Defunctorum) seems best (the official name of All Souls’ day is, after all, “The Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed”), but I’ve also encountered Book of Remembrance, which seems less apt (we’re supposed to pray for those people, not just remember them) but at least not presumptuous.
I believe it is a post-V2 innovation, modeled after the books of remembrance commonly found in mainline Protestant churches. By giving it the name Book of Life, it resonated with the postconciliar changes to the funeral rites (from Requiem to Mass of Christian Burial or Mass of the Resurrection, black to white vestments and pall,no Dies Irae, less penitential emphasis, etc.), and thus seemed reasonable from a Catholic perspective. It matched what was seen in many Protestant churches, so it fit the ecumenical bill, as well as catering to the secular world’s desire to be sentimental and pleasant, and not grieving or–worse, yet–talking about Purgatory, sin, judgment, etc. Don’t misquote me–it does not openly deny any Church teaching, and if the purpose of such a book is to promote Masses and devotions being said for the dead, it is a fine practice. But as has been pointed out, the name is fuzzy, and suggests that incomplete understanding of death that non-Catholics, and increasingly, even Catholic today, have embraced. Book of the Departed would be a perfectly appropriate title and an accurate translation of Liber Defunctorum, and if used in a way that promoted a fully Catholic understanding of the last things, would be fine.Yes - - this is what I was feeling somehow, that I can’t sign up all my dead relatives to automatically be in heaven. “Book of the Dead” would sound awfully harsh to all those people who have the Spirit of Vatican II, I suspect.
I know about All Souls’ Day and All Saints’ Day, and that November is to remember the Poor Souls, of course.
Curious if this “Book of Life” is something that goes back many years, or if it is a post-V II innovation?
I’m not so sure that it’s a post-V2 invention. In many parishes, it may have taken upon itself a “happy-touchy-feely” name, but, in all honesty, it’s generally simply the parish’s funeral register - which all Catholic parishes have had for a very long time. In fact, the parish is required to notify the parish of record (the church where the person was baptized - or received into the Church if the person had joined the Church from a non-Catholic Christian faith tradition) to tell them that the person had died and had received a Christian burial. This is the same process that must be followed for the reception of sacraments.I believe it is a post-V2 innovation, modeled after the books of remembrance commonly found in mainline Protestant churches. By giving it the name Book of Life, it resonated with the postconciliar changes to the funeral rites (from Requiem to Mass of Christian Burial or Mass of the Resurrection, black to white vestments and pall,no Dies Irae, less penitential emphasis, etc.), and thus seemed reasonable from a Catholic perspective. It matched what was seen in many Protestant churches, so it fit the ecumenical bill, as well as catering to the secular world’s desire to be sentimental and pleasant, and not grieving or–worse, yet–talking about Purgatory, sin, judgment, etc. Don’t misquote me–it does not openly deny any Church teaching, and if the purpose of such a book is to promote Masses and devotions being said for the dead, it is a fine practice. But as has been pointed out, the name is fuzzy, and suggests that incomplete understanding of death that non-Catholics, and increasingly, even Catholic today, have embraced. Book of the Departed would be a perfectly appropriate title and an accurate translation of Liber Defunctorum, and if used in a way that promoted a fully Catholic understanding of the last things, would be fine.
While we are required to record burials, we are not required to send a notification to the baptismal parishes. We’re only required to do that for Confirmation, Marriage and Holy Orders.I’m not so sure that it’s a post-V2 invention. In many parishes, it may have taken upon itself a “happy-touchy-feely” name, but, in all honesty, it’s generally simply the parish’s funeral register - which all Catholic parishes have had for a very long time. In fact, the parish is required to notify the parish of record (the church where the person was baptized - or received into the Church if the person had joined the Church from a non-Catholic Christian faith tradition) to tell them that the person had died and had received a Christian burial. This is the same process that must be followed for the reception of sacraments.
Our priest said our day of baptism should be as important as our day of birth and that we should all know the date of our baptism.While we are required to record burials, we are not required to send a notification to the baptismal parishes. We’re only required to do that for Confirmation, Marriage and Holy Orders.
Unless the parishioner had received one of the sacraments of initiation or married in the parish, you’d probably not even know where they’d been baptized. I’ve belonged to many a parish in the 44 years since I left home and never in all those years was I ever asked where I was baptized.
I can only deduce mine, I was born on Friday October 2. I deduce from that that I was likely baptized on October 11 since my mother wouldn’t have left the hospital before the 9th and I would have been taken to the church on the first Sunday after that. I don’t recall ever having had a certificate of Baptism since I received all my sacraments of initiation and married in the same parish so would never have required one.Our priest said our day of baptism should be as important as our day of birth and that we should all know the date of our baptism.
Well, I don’t think this would be similar to a parish funeral register. The priest encourages us to write the names of any of our deceased relatives in it. None of my blood relatives were in my parish, or lived in the state where I currently reside. In fact none of them were even Catholic. So I don’t see how this would be similar to our parish funeral register, to write down the names of Lutherans and agnostics who died, 20, 30, 40 years ago in another state?I’m not so sure that it’s a post-V2 invention. In many parishes, it may have taken upon itself a “happy-touchy-feely” name, but, in all honesty, it’s generally simply the parish’s funeral register - which all Catholic parishes have had for a very long time. In fact, the parish is required to notify the parish of record (the church where the person was baptized - or received into the Church if the person had joined the Church from a non-Catholic Christian faith tradition) to tell them that the person had died and had received a Christian burial. This is the same process that must be followed for the reception of sacraments.
ours is not a funeral register either. simply remembering the ones we have loved and are no longer with us - relatives, friends, someone who made an impact on your life.Well, I don’t think this would be similar to a parish funeral register. The priest encourages us to write the names of any of our deceased relatives in it. None of my blood relatives were in my parish, or lived in the state where I currently reside. In fact none of them were even Catholic. So I don’t see how this would be similar to our parish funeral register, to write down the names of Lutherans and agnostics who died, 20, 30, 40 years ago in another state?
Thank you - - this is interesting to know the history! This is what I was hoping to get from this conversation, what this custom has grown out of.As I mentioned in a previous post, the submission of names for remembrance at Masses of special occasion is a long standing practice; it certainly precedes the last council…it was and is still done for All Souls Day, Christmas, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, various novenas publicly offered, etc. according to the particular custom in either parish churches and/or churches of religious orders. The customs tend to vary more widely now than once upon a time.
We used to bind together the lists that were submitted and place them on the altar for the prescribed period of remembrance at Mass, with certain Masses dedicated to the intention of those so listed. Over the years, the custom in some places seemed to shift to inscribing the names in a bound book…but some of us still do it with the bound lists. I gather there are places that have abandoned the practice.
Such a book for All Souls Day would have nothing to do with the parish funeral register. Names submitted by people for remembrance in these Mass are those of family, friends, acquaintances, neighbors and so forth…who may or may not have any association with the parish – or they may not even be Catholic.
Various names come to be associated with such books of remembrance, according to local custom…but it is a bit extreme to draw the sorts of far reaching conclusions some here do based on what the book is titled. After all, in the RCIA, catechumens are inscribed in what is entitled the “Book of the Elect.” It is certainly meant to evoke the heavenly book – but is not actually it, of course.