As a Mile High Ministries staff community, over the past couple weeks we’ve been spending time among our forebears. Two “holy days” in our calendar provided the chance to pause, remember, reflect, and celebrate.
Last week, we walked among the gravestones at Denver’s oldest cemetery, Riverside. October 23 is the day Clara Brown passed from this life in 1885. Her courageous, beautiful life has become part of our lives, as the namesake of our newest housing community opening soon.
Riverside Cemetery holds a severe beauty, with its collision between desolation and consolation in disorienting proximity. It hasn’t been watered in decades, aside from an occasional high-plains rain or snow squall. Dead tree limbs reach for the sky, while native grasses rustle in the breeze. At Aunt Clara’s grave, we considered scripture’s admonition: “Teach us to realize the brevity of life, so that we may grow in wisdom.” (Psalm 90:101).
This week, we celebrated Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) and All Saints Day. These two cultural observances, one rooted in Mexican tradition and the other in Christian heritage, intersect in the common theme of honoring and remembering those who have journeyed to the afterlife.
Led by our Miriam Medina, we took time to remember departed loved ones and their ongoing place among us. These traditions not only help us to heal and find solace in grief, but they also cultivate a profound and growing life connection with those we hold dear in our hearts.
At our ofrenda (altar) in the Joshua Station Community Room, staff and residents placed memorials—each a window into rich stories we shared. Our prayer:
“Dear God, we come before you with gratitude for the lives of our ancestors and loved ones who have gone before us. As we delve into these days of celebration, may we find solace, inspiration, and a deeper connection with those who now reside in your eternal care. Amen.”
Dia de los Muertos and All Saints Day traditions are not just an act of remembrance, but an act of love that transcends time and space. They remind us that death is not the end but a transition—an opening into new life.
Today, we invite you to reflect with us:
- How can the example of the saints (well-recognized, or simply known to you) inspire you to live a more virtuous and faithful life? How might you incorporate their virtues into your daily routine?
- How do you currently remember and honor your loved ones who have passed away? Are there additional ways you could express your love and remembrance for them?
- How has the practice of remembering your loved ones impacted your life? In what ways can you deepen this connection to maintain their legacy?
May you be blessed, as we are, with those who continue to live on among us.
