Tom Thomas –
“At the death of a Christian, whose life of faith was begun in the waters of Baptism and strengthened at the Eucharistic table, the Church intercedes on behalf of the deceased because of its confident belief that death is not the end, nor does it break the bonds forged in life. The Church also ministers to the sorrowing and consoles them in the funeral rites with the comforting Word of God and the Sacrament of the Eucharist.” (Order of Christian Funerals, no. 4)” – ucssb.org
I attended a Catholic funeral recently of someone I did not know very well. I came away from the service with the feeling that I knew the person very well. Funerals can tell one a lot of things. In this case, I could understand from the words of the Fathers present and those giving the eulogy what a committed Christian this person was.
Cancer took him away early and the late diagnosis made him poignantly aware of the precious time he had left on earth. He had no time to see the marriages of his precious children, no time to settle matters on earth fully, and yet he had adequate time for the Lord. These precious moments of time left, the clock ticking away inexorably, were spent in prayer with those close to the Lord. Those who prayed for him to recover from this illness if it was His will, were in fact strengthened by the absolute faith and calm of the one they were praying for. This faith that they had seen in their beloved friend, even in the days and years before the illness touched him. They spoke at the funeral of how, before his illness during the COVID times, he gave them strength by telling them to rise early in the morning, read the Word of God and memorize the scriptures read. This would help them gather the strength to face the day, the dejection of locked-in COVID times. He had helped many get over their negative feelings in life through his personal example of simple Christian life.
The Fathers at the service spoke how he contributed selflessly to the cause of the orphans and was ever ready to help any needy cause. The family friend who delivered the eulogy spoke how close knit was his family and the great care and love he showered upon them. He called his child studying abroad every day, he waited for another to come back from class, no matter how late, every evening, putting aside all other commitments.
Attending the funeral mass, I was praying in the back of the packed Church, reflecting on the words spoken that I had just heard and thinking – this man was a true Christian. He was not on the party circuit of the city but in his quiet way of living the Christian life he touched many lives in the way a Christian should- by being humble and rooted in Him always.
The words of the Preacher I heard at the funeral of another holy soul – a saintly Lady came to my mind. “Observe a coconut tree, as it grows it turns to the light, wherever it can find the source. When it falls, it falls in the same direction that it was leaning towards while standing. Same is the case for a person that is close to the Lord in life. When it is time to depart this world that Soul will fall towards the Lord and not away from Him.”
The Catechism of the Catholic Church CCC 2300 says “The bodies of the dead must be treated with respect and charity, in faith and hope of the Resurrection. The burial of the dead is a corporal work of mercy; it honors the children of God, who are temples of the Holy Spirit.”
Every prayer is so meaningful in a Catholic Funeral Service, and one of the most powerful moments is when the Priest implores on behalf of the Departed:
“Absolve, we beseech Thee, O Lord, the soul of Thy servant (N.), that he (she) who is dead to the world, may live unto Thee, and wipe away by Thy most merciful forgiveness what sins he (she) may have committed in life through human frailty. Though our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. “
As I walked away at the end of the service I was reflecting on these words. This person was truly honoured and recognized as a Child of God by the service and all who attended. It did not matter, indeed, how long he lived on this earth, but, rather, how well he lived as a Child of God. I was privileged to have had the opportunity of participating in this service. I felt I knew him, I understood what motivated him in life, to be with the Lord always, to please Him in everything, to care for the unwanted and orphaned, and to live his vocation as a Christian husband and father fully.
“The virtuous man, though he die before his time, will find rest. Length of days is not what makes age honourable, nor number of years the true measure of life; understanding, this is man’s grey hairs, untarnished life, this is ripe old age. He has sought to please God, so God has loved him…” Wis 4: 7-10
Let us pray for the departed !