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| Death: Our Birth into Eternal life
Patrick Gorman |
The following article is the next installment in a series that will appear in the Catholic Herald to offer catechesis and formation concerning end of life decisions, dying, death, funerals, and burial of the dead from the Catholic perspective.
“Lead him/her over the waters of death.” — Intercession from the Funeral Mass
“In the waters of baptism [our friend] died with Christ and rose with him to new life. / May (s)he now share with him eternal glory.”
This article is the final installment of a four-part series on Catholic funeral rites.
Baptism and funerals
The rites of the Church draw a close connection between a Baptism and a funeral.
In both liturgies we die and rise to new life in Christ.
Both liturgies make use of the Paschal Candle — beautifully lit at the Easter Vigil, standing near the font at Baptism, and keeping near the deceased at their funeral.
Christ our light and morning star leads us throughout life and doesn’t abandon us, even in our physical death.
He reaches out for us with his hand in love and mercy.
How the Mass differs
The Funeral Mass differs from a regular Mass most obviously at the beginning and end.
When Mass begins, the priest sprinkles the coffin with Baptismal water and the funeral pall (the large, white vestment) is placed on the coffin.
All those gathered around the body usually process into church.
Processions almost always signify the great journey or pilgrimage we are on in the world, ending at the Paschal Candle.
One last possibility (not required) is the placing of a Christian item (e.g. a cross that had special meaning) on top of the coffin.
Mass basically continues as usual until the dismissal.
The committal
The committal is the last part of the funeral rites. As those gathered prepare to leave church, the priest usually incenses the coffin reminding us of the importance of each person (created in God’s image) and illustrating the prayers of the gathered community ascending to God’s ear.
The choir or cantor may sing a song of farewell, or the entire congregation may do so.
The manner in which the committal is celebrated varies. It may be done in the church or at the graveside, mausoleum, or columbarium.
Brief service
The reason for the brief service is simple: “[The Church] offers to the Father, in Christ, the child of his grace, and she commits to the earth, in hope, the seed of the body that will rise in glory” (Catechism 1683.)
That seed was watered every time (s)he came to Mass or lived out Christ’s grace.
Each time we say the creed, we declare our belief that “I look forward to the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come.”
Finally, standing at the graveside we are face-to-face with our own mortality.
No one likes to talk about death but, as we know and believe as Christians, it is the sole path to eternal life.
We depart from our earthly home and take our seats with the multitude of those who sing, “Holy! Holy! Holy!”
Scripture tells us that no eye has seen, no ear has heard what God has prepared for his people.
Patrick Gorman is the director of the Office of Worship for the Diocese of Madison.