Death still stings, even for a Christian. My nephew died suddenly and unexpectedly at age 40, and I had to make all the arrangements. I’ve had too much practice doing so; I think this is the fifth person I have buried: my parents to start, then an impoverished acquaintance who was alienated from his family, another relative, and now my nephew.
Fortunately we have a priest who is a family friend; he grew up with my mother, and then presided at her funeral. He is dignified.
At many funerals I feel more anger than grief. Some priests try to lighten the occasion by telling jokes. Even worse, eulogies give someone the opportunity to those who finally have a captive audience, and go on at length about how funny the deceased was when he was drunk, and boy he had an eye for the girls, etc. I try to make the service recognizably Christian, and I think music is the best way to do it.
At my nephew’s funeral the choir sang I Heard the Voice of Jesus Say, The King of Love My Shepherd Is, Jesus Christ the Apple Tree, the In Paradisum, and Jerusalem My Happy Home.
This fruit does make my soul to thrive, It keeps my dying faith alive
This fruit does make my soul to thrive, It keeps my dying faith alive
Which makes my soul in haste to be, With Jesus Christ the apple tree.
What other comfort have we but that the Good Shepherd will not leave us in darkness.
Perverse and foolish oft I strayed
But yet in love He sought me
And on His shoulder gently laid
And home rejoicing brought me.
And He will wipe away the tears from every eye.
Jerusalem, my happy home, God grant that I may see
Thine endless joys and of the same partaker ever be.
At the conclusion of the burial service the priest took dirt from the grave and made the sign of the cross on the coffin, saying
“I seal this grave until the day of the resurrection,”
when, I pray, we will all meet again, never more to part.
Leon, please accept my sincere condolences. I lost my mother in October 2009, and it was the worst experience of my life, in many different ways.
It sounds like a lovely service, Dr. Podles.
AW
Rest in peace.
My father passed 5-5-12. Let us pray for each other and our loved ones.
Experiencing the death of a loved one along with the accompanying heartache often awakens and defines a person’s character. The event can be very fruitful in that it brings sympathy and empathy from the depths of the heart into the conscience mind and memory. Likewise, the Viewing and funeral solidifies the reality that the body is not the person but just the shell.
Only several generations ago , Viewings were done in the family home and no one felt it an odd thing to have the deceased lying in an open coffin for several days in the parlor of the home.
Personally , having lost my parents at a young age, I found the reading of Psalms and the rosary recitation to be most comforting.
I also do not appreciate what they term “celebrating the life” in the telling of anecdotal stories.
As a Christian I prefer celebrating the deceased person’s Birth into Eternal Life.
The Eastern Rites sing during the time of the Resurrection ,” ….by death He trampled death , and to those in the graves , He granted life.”
Prayers for the deceased and Blessings and comfort for you and yours Leon.
Leon, please accept my condolances. I will remember him at Mass.
Leon, thank you for your words.
My mother died on my birthday this year, May 12. Her illness was very quick and surprising.
Just a few days before, she asked to say the Lord’s Prayer with us, her kids, and at the end declared that she was at peace and ready. 2 days before, she started saying Mama. I asked her if she was talking to me (her eyes were closed), she said no. She was seeing her Mom and calling to her (no narcotic drugs that this point). My brother-in-law asked her what else she saw. She said an archway and a garden beyond it – and a blue light. She said the light was comforting. Never heard of ‘blue light’ until I read the book, “Heaven is for Real” where Colton, in response to his Dad’s question, states that the Holy Spirit is ‘kinda hard to describe – He’s kinda blue’. in John 14 , Jesus states the He will send a Comforter, The Holy Spirit, to be with you always. My armhairs were on-end when I read that.