catholic

Death? Bring it on!!

"Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven... let heaven fill your thoughts."
--Colossians 3:1-3

Here is what we heard from Father Keefer, the Catholic Priest for Trinity University...

Orientation to death:
      *Catholics believe that in the death of Christ Jesus our salvation has become complete. The Son calls us into life with him forever.
       *He also mentioned that you should never put ANYTHING off when death is concerned because you never know when it may come for you. "So we make it our goal to please him whether we are at home in the body or away from it." (2 Corinthians 5:9)
        *Since Vatican II, much of the Catholic perspective toward death has changed. For example, white has often replaced black, symbolic of death, because of its connotations that the deceased has gone to a better place.
         *"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

Orientation to afterlife:
         *No one can know what to expect in the afterlife, so you must trust in God's word.
         *What individuals believe about the afterlife is free to go the full spectrum.
         *A Christian who dies in Christ Jesus is "away from the body and at home with the Lord." (2 Corinthians 5:8)

Funeral rituals:
          *Vigil-- Held in either a funeral parlor or the home. They often gather memories of the deceased and let those who know the deceased talk and pray. The vigil, also known as a wake, is a time of remembrance, coming to peace, or forgiving any past issues.
          *Funeral service-- There is sometimes a prayer before closing the coffin. The service is meant to be comforting because it often occurs in the place where the deceased has been attending church for many years. The inclusion of the eucharist during the funeral service is important because it "expresses the union of the Church on earth with the Church in heaven in the one great communion of saints. Though separated from the living, the dead are still at one with the community of believers on earth and benefit from their prayers and intercession." (Order of Christian Funerals)
          *Graveside service-- The priest blesses the ground to make it a holy place for the dead. The body is placed in the ground and the area is covered.
          *Reception-- After the grave service, the attendees often go to the home of the deceased for a party. Father Keefer says it helps the healing process. Unfortunately, after that point they often forget to continue the process.
          *Father Keefer believed that the process of burial came about because of the idea of resurrection into eternal life with Christ.

Funerary symbols:
           *The priest sprinkles holy water at the beginning of the funeral service to represent the baptism that began the deceased's Christian life.
           *A pall (a white cloth) is placed over the coffin. The pall symbolizes the baptismal clothing that began the deceased's walk with Christ.
           *A crucifix and flowers are placed on the top of the coffin.

Religious artifacts passed down through the generations:
           *At the end of the burial, the crucifix is handed down to the nearest member of the family as something to hold onto.

Prayers for the dead:
           *In the Order of Christian Funerals book, there are several prayers for the deceased that cover any occasion or manner of death. Although suicide is forbidden by the Church, there are still prayers for deceased who died by suicide.
           *Most prayers for the dead involve prayer for the forgiveness of sins.

Belief that the dead can intercede in the lives of the living:
            *A few Catholics believe that they have experienced intercession by the deceased, but Jesus is the one who heals. He felt that this was a confusing issue because you cannot tell those who believe that they are wrong.

Special cemetary or section of cemetary for their faith:
            *There are some specific Catholic cemetaries and the ground is always blessed before a Catholic is buried.
            *Cremation changes some aspects, although the remains are still buried sometimes.

View on the other two faiths. What sets them apart:
            *Local customs are a major part in any faith's customs. So if you attend funerals in other regions, these customs may not be applied.
            *He did not exactly answer this question, although he did say that each faith had unique aspects to reflect their beliefs. He also respected the Jewish continuation of the mourning period since it is often neglected in the Christian rituals.

Why do you think that belief in an afterlife has increased in the US over the past 3 decades?:
           *He did not know that this statistic was true.
            *He believed that people have an idea that leads them to an action.   In the case of funerals, he thought that the idea was resurrection and the action was a funeral and burial of the body of the deceased Christian.
             *How a person lives shows his/her belief about the afterlife.