Continuing our discussion on the Poor Souls. November is a month during which we pray in a special way for all those who have died. The envelopes for the Poor Souls on which are written those whom we remember this month are in the chapel. Pray for these and all the faithful departed that they may rest soon in the peace of Christ.
Death is not something we like to think about too much and yet, it is something that we will all experience some day. Our Lord urges us to always be prepared for, we know neither the day nor the hour when He will call us. We prepare ourselves best by striving to live a life in the imitation of Jesus, listening to His words, and putting them into practice in our daily lives. This includes, of course, frequent Communion, frequent confession, and daily prayer.
It also may do us some good to reflect on the funeral rites of the Church and how important it is that we understand the meaning of these rites and do not consider them a burden, or a bother. We may hear our elderly parents or grandparents saying that they do not want anyone to bother with a big funeral and all the other arrangements.
The most important part of the funeral rite is, of course, the Mass itself. It is very important that the body of one who lies in death should be brought to the church for the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. The Mass is the best prayer that we can offer for our loved ones who have died. If cremation is to take place, it should take place after the funeral Mass and the ashes should be properly buried. We should never allow the ashes of our loved ones to be scattered, even if this is what “grandpa” wanted. Our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit and should be treated so in life and in death. The only reason a person should be cremated is for financial reasons. That is why the Church permits it in the first place. Cremation should take place after the Funeral Mass so the body can be present for the Mass. The ashes are then buried or placed in a columbarium in a cemetery. We should never take the ashes to display in our home or scatter them in any way. They are to be treated with respect as a temple of the Holy Spirit. The body or the ashes after the funeral should be placed where family and loved ones may go and pray for the repose of the soul of the deceased loved one. So, when you are thinking about your funeral plans or those of your loved ones, please keep the teachings of the Church in mind.
This use of cremation has really gotten out of line. The Church, in her care of her children, has made the effort to be sensitive to where her children are in regard to this issue. We find out here that many people take advantage of the exceptions and just do whatever they choose, disregarding the purpose of the teaching in the first place and that, is showing respect for the body whether it is cremated or not. This in turn has led to people not having a funeral Mass for the loved one. The whole praying and grieving process is done away with because people do not want to spend the time or the money having the funeral in a way that calls family, friends, and the community to come together in prayer. We are called to pray for the dead and show compassion to those in need of it. To bury the dead is one of the corporal works of mercy.
As I have stated before, death is not something we want to deal with and so we do whatever we can to avoid any contact with it. Remember, death is not the end of life. We need to make more of an effort to deal with death according to our Catholic Faith, which is the truth as revealed by God and taught in the Catechism of the Catholic Church.
Please reflect and pray about this so that our death or the death of a loved one may lead us to a deeper faith in God and all that He has revealed. Do not be taken in by our own feelings or what other people are doing.
May all the souls of the faithful departed rest in peace.
Thursday is Thanksgiving Day, a time for us to stop to thank God for all the many blessings He has bestowed upon us. Thanksgiving Day gives all of us the opportunity to recognize that it is God who has given us all the good gifts we have received. We cannot truly celebrate this holiday apart from God. The very word, “thanksgiving,” implies that it is God we are thanking because who else could we possibly be grateful to for all that we have? Wishing you and your loved ones a very Happy Thanksgiving!
Our Thanksgiving Day Mass will be at 9 AM in the church. Please bring some canned or nonperishable food or paper products to bring up in the Offertory Procession. These goods will go to help area families at Christmas time.
