Praying for Our Dead
In the film Coco, 12-year old Miguel Rivera’s dream of becoming a musician transports him to the land of the dead. The concept for the movie is based on the Mexican holiday known as the Day of the Dead or Día de los Muertos.
In the film Coco, 12-year old Miguel Rivera’s dream of becoming a musician transports him to the land of the dead. The concept for the movie is based on the Mexican holiday known as the Day of the Dead or Día de los Muertos. The movie offers a powerful testimony to the practice of remembering our dead.
One of the ways we as Catholics remember our dead is to pray for them. The Bible offers several accounts of prayer for the dead, the earliest of which is seen in the second book of Maccabees. Other early evidence of the Christian practice of praying for the dead can be found in the Roman catacombs, where inscriptions include both prayers for the dead and requests for prayers. Early Church Fathers, such as Tertullian and Augustine also witness to the tradition of praying for departed family and friends.
Prayers for the dead begin as soon as the person dies. Among its various rites, The Order of Christian Funerals includes “Prayers after Death” and “Gathering in the Presence of the Body.” Both of these rites are designed to bring comfort to the mourners at the time of death or shortly thereafter.
As the Order of Christian Funerals states,
“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.” 4
The funeral liturgy, especially the celebration of the Mass, is the primary way the community offers prayers for their dead:
“At the funeral rites, especially at the celebration of the Eucharistic sacrifice, the Christian community affirms and expresses the union of the Church on earth with the Church in heaven in the one great communion of saints.” 6
After the funeral liturgy, the community continues to remember and pray for the dead at “Masses for the Dead,” on special anniversaries and occasions, on Solemnities such as All Saints and All Souls’ Day, and during the Eucharistic Prayer:
“Remember also, Lord, your servants N. and N., who have gone before us with the sign of faith and rest in the sleep of peace.” Eucharistic Prayer I
“Remember also our brothers and sisters who have fallen asleep in the hope
of the resurrection, and all who have died in your mercy: welcome them into the light of your face.” Eucharistic Prayer II
“To our departed brothers and sisters and to all who were pleasing to you
at their passing from this life, give kind admittance to your kingdom.”
Eucharistic Prayer III
“Remember also those who have died in the peace of your Christ and all the dead, whose faith you alone have known.” Eucharistic Prayer IV
We offer our prayers for the dead to commend them to God’s merciful love, to ease their transition from this life to the next, and to keep them close at heart, as the Order of Christian Funerals sates,
“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.” 6
Burying Our Dead
Whenever there is a national tragedy, such as the shooting in Las Vegas, symbols of affection and remembrance abound. Flowers, candles, letters of condolence, and other items are placed at or near the site of these tragedies. These tributes help to express feelings when words alone are not enough. These memorials fill several voids. They offer us the opportunity to do something when we feel powerless. They provide solace for the grieving and they honor the dead whose lives were dishonored by the harrowing ways in which they died. When dying in horrific ways seems to strip us of our dignity, rituals such as these remind us that our dignity was never lost.
Whenever there is a national tragedy, such as the shooting in Las Vegas, symbols of affection and remembrance abound. Flowers, candles, letters of condolence, and other items are placed at or near the site of these tragedies. These tributes help to express feelings when words alone are not enough. These memorials fill several voids. They offer us the opportunity to do something when we feel powerless. They provide solace for the grieving and they honor the dead whose lives were dishonored by the harrowing ways in which they died. When dying in horrific ways seems to strip us of our dignity, rituals such as these remind us that our dignity was never lost.
The Church’s rituals make paramount the dignity of the human person no matter how he or she died. At the beginning of the funeral rite, the body of the deceased is welcomed, sprinkled with holy water, and covered with a pall--symbols that serve to remind us that the dead were baptized into Christ and that they share in his life both then and now. Throughout the funeral liturgy, we pray for, we remember, and we bless the dead and their family. At the end of the funeral liturgy, we incense the body and we sing a song of farewell---a sign that we entrust our loved one to the love and mercy of God.
While the Church allows cremation, it does not share the same value as the presence of the body at the funeral liturgy:
“The Church clearly prefers and urges that the body of the deceased be present for the funeral rites, since the presence of the human body better expresses the values which the Church affirms in those rites.” Order of Christian Funerals #413
When cremains are present, they are treated with the same respect given to the body from which they come:
“This includes the use of a worthy vessel to contain the ashes, the manner in which they are carried, the care and attention to appropriate placement and transport, and the final disposition. The cremated remains should be buried in a grave or entombed in a mausoleum or columbarium. The practice of scattering cremated remains on the sea, from the air, or on the ground, or keeping cremated remains in the home of a relative or friend of the deceased are not the reverent disposition that the Church requires.” Order of Christian Funerals #417
The Church sees interring the remains of the dead in the ground or in a columbarium as more dignified and respectful than keeping those remains at home. It is also safer because, should a house fire or burglary occur, cremains that are in the home could be lost. The guidelines help ensure the honor and dignity of the deceased, even long after they and we are gone.
Each year at St. Thomas Aquinas, a seminar is held designed to answer questions regarding end-of-life issues. As stated in this bulletin, this year’s seminar will be held on Saturday, November 4 at 9:00 am in rooms 201 and 202.
Funeral Planning
November is the month when we the Church remember and honor our dead. One of the Church’s Corporal Works of Mercy is to bury the dead. At some point in our lives, we will be involved in planning a funeral liturgy either for a loved one or perhaps for ourselves. The Funeral Rites offer ritual prayers that encourage the Body of Christ to be present and to accompany the dead as they transition from this world. There are rites for use After Death, in the Presence of the Body, during the Transfer of the Body to the Church, the funeral Vigil, Morning and Evening Prayer for the Dead, the Funeral Liturgy, and the Rite of Committal. These rites are also designed to comfort the family and friends from the time of the death of their loved one to the burial. The familiar rituals of the liturgies help to create order at a time when life is in disorder.