A Season of Reflection

Dear Parishioners, 

November is the time when we celebrate All Saints Day and All Souls Day. We remember all who have gone before us in our families and parish community. I often preach at funerals and deal with death. When I plan funerals, I am struck by how reverently people speak of their parents, aunts, uncles, and grandparents, while tears are shed, and many stories are shared.   

There are three parts to the Catholic funeral rite. There is a visitation or wake, the funeral Mass, and the interment at the cemetery. All three of these rituals are designed to help us grieve and say good-bye. Death is a mystery. What is it like in the next stage of life? No one other than Jesus has ever come back to share the experience of death. A religious ritual helps us put this life experience in perspective. It reminds us that we believe in the resurrection of the dead. 

A striking thing about the times in which we live is the fear people have of encountering the reality of death. In former times, there was a greater comfort with the death experience. Death was part of living. No one believed they could deny death.   

However, today often people are not formally mourned. We read in obituaries, if there is one, the person who died did not want any services. I often wonder, was it them not wanting services or were there survivors who opted out of funeral rituals? I remember a striking truth I heard once, which is that we cannot escape grieving the people we love. We either grieve with others when people we love die or we grieve later, alone. It is healthier to process our grief with others. 

If you want information about planning a funeral, just contact our office and our staff is happy to answer questions.   

Blessings,

Fr. Mark