By Fr. Denton Morris
Pastor, St. Joseph Parish in Harvard
Hispanic Ministry
Two beliefs of the Catholic faith combine in a special way in Antigua Guatemala (“Old Guatemala”) with the tomb of Santo Hermano Pedro: the belief in the communion of the saints, and the reality of the tomb. I thought of this practice upon reflection of the tomb of Christ this Easter.
In Guatemala, studying Spanish, I saw many visitors and pilgrims visit St. Francis Church and its ruins. Pilgrims especially came to visit the resting place of Santo Hermano Pedro. Some take the journey and make their petitions to him by knocking on his tomb. It is a testament to the knowledge of the communion of saints’ real intercession, as well as testament to the place of the tomb.
We know that Christ is risen, and the dead will rise again, but we often only see the externals of the tomb. A grave is a place of the dead. It is a place of somber remembrance for our beloved departed. It is their place of rest. It is also their place of resurrection.
We have evidence from the ancient church that baptistries were shaped like tombs and when baptized, the fully-immersed catechumen would rise from the water to new life in Christ. This ancient practice keeps close the mystery of the tomb of Christ being the place of victory over death and our entrance into the life of Christ. “If, then, we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him.” (Romans 8:8)
This baptism-and-tomb connection should move us to reflect on not only the power that Christ possesses over death, but as pilgrims do that, the saints are so close to us, even as they have left us. They are alive as they rest in the tomb. They are not far from us as we honor their relics, but in a far more real way, they are alive and near to us in Christ.
The belief in the connection to living saints and the belief in the tomb as a place of resurrection combine in the knocking on the tomb of Santo Hermano Pedro. They ask him to hear them as one would at the door of a home. This expression is a physical way to live the Parable of the Friend at Midnight and the lesson on prayer which follows: “And I tell you, ask and you will receive; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives; and the one who seeks, finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.” (Luke 11:9-10)
Prayers are heard always by God. We may make our prayers out of routine or a sense of duty. Those prayers are heard, without a doubt. They are good practices and we should continue those habits. Consider, though, the “knocking on the tomb.” The pilgrim must forgo their embarrassment and show their petition to Santo Hermano Pedro, as knocking on a door of a home, where they inconvenience the other inside to their need. It is bold and humbling at the same time.
We may never physically express our prayers in such a way, but I think it merits reflection on our own prayer this Eastertide. We can boldly ask and persist, or we can let discouragement overcome us. We can look to the grave of our loved ones and only see a place of death. This is, however, not the end. If the resurrection is true, our connection to the dead is sure. The dead are alive in Christ and as saints intercede on our behalf. Knock boldly then in prayer, if only from the depths of your heart! Knock boldly then to risen joy!
