Do you honor your ancestors?

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anhphan

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And if you do it, how do you do? What do you think about honoring ancestors in many countries?
 
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I remember them and their lives. I suppose that is honoring them. I don’t feel I may be disgracing them by my actions in the present, though I imagine that is more of a hollywod concept than real world.
 
I honor my ancestors by remembering them in my prayers, especially at mass. And I thank God for them, because I wouldn’t be here without them!
 
I also often remember my ancestors in prayer. My dad had a special love for the ocean, and I think of him whenever I’m there. That thought naturally leads to prayer for my grandparents and other departed relatives and loved ones.

Researching my family tree has also led to my praying for my ancestors many times, especially those who died suddenly, like in time of war, or tragically, like suicide. We believe that God exists outside of time, and so our prayers now can be efficacious even for those who lived long ago, as well as helping those who may be in purgatory. I take some comfort in that thought.
 
I’m Mexican, and honoring our ancestors is a big part of our culture. This is why we have the day of the dead. On this day we put up their picture, make their favorite food, talk to the younger children about them and pray for them. We go to their gravesite on this day and we make sure to wash it especially well and put up fresh flowers.
 
Thank you, and It is 🙂 and the younger children who didn’t know them grow up seeing them as their family. My grandpa died when I was three, but my little nieces and nephews love him and know him as if he were still living. It almost allows the younger ones to share in the love they gave us before they passed away.
 
I honor my ancestors by remembering them at Mass during the Consecration …My grandmother use to tell us about her mother and grandmother so through her we felt liked we knew them, she also had two daughters,who passed away before I was born. I was named after one and my sister the other. Whenever I have to get away from things I drive to the cemetery and sit next to them [ they are buried together] I have such a feeling of peace. [ didn’t mean to go on ] Now their memories will not fade away and neither will the love.
God bless you and yours.
 
Today, young people live in a very different world and there is a conflict of generations, in which there is a misunderstanding on the part of the older generation.
On the one hand you admire our ancestors. Their sacrifice, patience, and hardship. And on the other hand, life requires changes that our ancestors can not understand and sometimes they prevent young people to make these changes.
 
I recall the words of our parish priest at my father’s Funeral Mass .

He told us that the best way of remembering our departed loved ones was to strive to live their best qualities .

For my dad he said that they were his gentleness and his putting the Lord first . Referring to my dad as “one of nature’s gentlemen” , he spoke of how my dad insisted on attending Mass when he was dying , right to the end putting the Lord first . So to honour him would be to be gentle ourselves and to put the Lord first in our lives .

I try to be faithful to the grace of my Baptism which I received when I was three weeks old , thanks to my parents . I also look at their Golden Wedding photograph and chat with them a little each day . I don’t know whether they can hear me or help me , but it helps ,

Today is eleven years to the day since my mum died .

I’m so grateful to them .

Here they are . God bless them …(Please Note: This uploaded content is no longer available.)
 
Prayers for them of course but I also have done some research on my ancestry. After a few generations the names, dates, and other information suddenly stop so I, and my cousins, get into the ethnicity, culture, and history. I try to imagine everything they did that resulted in their survival so that I would come into existence. I reflect on that and pray.
 
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I light candles and silently go through the names of deceased family and friends.
 
I do not honour my ancestors. I honour God. I respect and love my parents. I do not honour and venerate them.

We must apply the term ‘ do you honour your ancestors ‘ in an Asian way, as the OP means.
 
My family is Han Chinese, so some of my relatives do partake in the traditional Chinese “ancestor worship” rituals on certain feasts. They mainly do it for cultural and traditional reasons. Some of the activities are acceptable from a Catholic point of view, whereas others contradict Catholic teachings. I’ve had to refuse to participate in activities that I believed went against my faith, which some of my relatives were NOT happy about.

Other than that, I do pray for the repose of the souls of my deceased ancestors and I additionally ask for the intercession of any who might be in Heaven. Regardless of what type of people our ancestors might have been, we should realize that we wouldn’t be here today without them.
 
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“Honour” does not necessarily mean “worship.” Many Catholics will say they honour and venerate the saints in Heaven, especially the Blessed Virgin Mary. “Honour” and “venerate” can simply mean to “love and respect” someone. The Fourth Commandment tells us to honor our parents.
 
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