Did I ever tell you that I really like doing funerals?I know it sounds a little strange; but, there you have it: I like funerals.
I like funerals so much because there is such a rich opportunity to share and celebrate our faith with people who are hurting, lost, confused, frightened, et cetera. They often need a lot of direction and I feel that it is the job of the priest to give them that direction, to steer them toward the Lord.
After all, it is the Lord who can and does console us. It is the Lord who offers us hope, comfort, and peace. It is the Lord who gently and lovingly takes our loved ones to Himself.
These things can easily be lost at the time of someone's death. If the wrong things are brought into focus, the wake and funeral can be abysmal. But if we help those who remain behind focus upon God and God's love, so much can be done for them.
There is almost always a time in a wake or funeral Mass or both that I get the people laughing. Laughter can be so healing. It helps people begin to reflect upon their loved one in more realistic terms. After all, their loved one is not dead. Their loved one is alive with the Lord. And, being alive with the Lord and a part of the Communion of Saints, their loved one is still with them. Just not in the same physical way as that person was on earth.
Once they realize that, the grief is much less devastating. Hope springs eternal.
Jesus Christ destroyed death and restored live.
We have the opportunity to celebrate that with each and every funeral celebrated.
Praise God!
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