I Say Mourner’s Kaddish on Day of the Dead

One of my favorite prayers is the Mourner’s Kaddish. There’s something beautiful, I think, about a prayer

[{"selector":"#anim-a5b39ae5-3c79-4ae8-b2ad-6be80453b0a7","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-cf46c05f-a729-4609-b75c-7986d03c0583","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-fe8a1f3c-968c-483a-9e02-1f4d6edee545","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":600,"duration":800,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-9c6ead95-96a3-4f85-acce-bfcb15cd8102","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-104.61956%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":600,"duration":800,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Learn More Arrow

dedicated to mourning. Even more beautiful is the prayer itself: not a lament but an expression of thanks, of God’s goodness, of holiness.

[{"selector":"#anim-c039a138-e79f-4e9c-a375-fbf161703d77","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-1a199196-34e8-47e2-875d-3e5a4e93d62e","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-056d85c8-5923-4f58-bde3-999da0f2e51b","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":600,"duration":800,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-55577e27-88ef-43c3-ada7-618e9c7cd48f","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-104.61956%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":600,"duration":800,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Learn More Arrow

I never stand and pray the Mourner’s Kaddish in service, though. It’s not because I have no one to mourn but rather because anyone I

[{"selector":"#anim-e8c20796-3941-4d78-aa6b-ac304693602c","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-10ae607a-353c-41e9-9a0d-8fbc9965de5c","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-8f0b1821-71ad-4f18-8780-f3d1675d9672","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":600,"duration":800,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-76d4bef9-90a8-4c4c-b6f0-ae9bb497520e","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-104.61956%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":600,"duration":800,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Learn More Arrow

have lost was not Jewish. As a convert, I have no Jewish relatives who would know or appreciate the Mourner’s Kaddish. When my

[{"selector":"#anim-6746fc7f-128c-4b9c-9cc8-4181f6b928e6","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-0e560708-013e-45c4-92bb-fb7af5b4fded","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-ef67813b-9622-482b-8ea4-a0e0226988a2","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":600,"duration":800,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-870da466-4bb9-4d38-bb09-663f057194f2","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-104.61956%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":600,"duration":800,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Learn More Arrow

uncle was in the hospital, I debated praying the Mi Sheberach for him. As a Catholic, would he want my prayer? Would he care? Would God?

[{"selector":"#anim-94c26473-134a-4df7-8cf6-c5753b8a4b3f","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-ec761a28-eebc-4b09-9afb-4e4b5e87eb61","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-aaa2e605-20e2-4807-999b-90b044b47ea8","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":600,"duration":800,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-39a5baab-010b-4455-ac06-7a9e4b04010a","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-104.61956%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":600,"duration":800,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Learn More Arrow

I was in elementary school when I first noticed the small table in my great aunt’s living room. The house was full of Halloween decorations,

[{"selector":"#anim-c001ee60-0693-4772-9d7a-cb27f88fbcc2","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-4b20d60e-d84c-4f54-832c-96a9b09f96e1","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-940382e8-d8b5-4072-a350-be0c7061bc82","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":600,"duration":800,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-146d647e-05df-4c78-baa4-43654ae6c3ed","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-104.61956%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":600,"duration":800,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Learn More Arrow

Day of the Dead: a Mexican tradition to honor and remember loved ones who have passed. The holiday and practice became more

[{"selector":"#anim-298ec183-d8fc-4b6c-8160-8eebcdc2dc46","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-584a09a1-c16d-4336-9305-db1e1a22dcfb","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-0b3d506e-8bd8-4669-ab7c-89769fd88b3f","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":600,"duration":800,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-c76ace76-5759-4ee0-98dc-595ba0c6dfa8","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-104.61956%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":600,"duration":800,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Learn More Arrow

widespread a few years ago when Disney released the movie “Coco,” and now Target and other stores have Day of the Dead decorations

[{"selector":"#anim-82eb4f2a-ead4-4de7-a181-db28f563c905","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-b22d6a6a-597c-4379-871c-a0aeda5876c7","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-fff63abb-0fa4-4a5f-b311-6e5393285c93","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":600,"duration":800,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-e29d2634-1c80-4ec3-a406-eadd98f2436c","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-104.61956%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":600,"duration":800,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Learn More Arrow

The history of this day is rooted in Catholicism. Halloween, a deeply secular holiday in the U.S. these days, is All Hallow’s Eve because Nov.

[{"selector":"#anim-10102072-cae9-48df-99c5-34d83e54fbb5","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-43bf9c4a-f514-40db-b3f0-b37ff9cb0890","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":600,"duration":800,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-98f5a670-0a29-46e2-bed2-65cbf51a9369","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-104.61956%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":600,"duration":800,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Learn More Arrow

CHECK OUT MORE INTERESTING STORIES