Dear Parishioners,
All Hallows Eve is a time when we reflect on the reality of death. At this time of year, it seems like the veil between time and eternity is thin. We have many customs that remind us of the brevity of our lives in the late fall. Around our neighborhood there is an abundance of decorations. Eight-foot skeletons are put up in yards. Witches and ghosts float in the air. Cobwebs are everywhere. We might say that we are laughing in the face of death or we are trying to scare the grim reaper away. Americans spend more money on Halloween than we do on any other holiday besides Christmas.
But then we have the other side of the story. I noticed that when a loved one dies the temptation is to have no funeral. The way 21st century Americans deal with death is to ignore it. When someone dies, the cremation society comes and takes the body away and families get the ashes back in a couple days. It is often said that a commemoration will happen in a few days or weeks. But often nothing happens.
Religious rituals are forgotten as well. This would seem to be a dysfunctional response to death. Sometimes people say that dwelling on death is morbid. Christians say that reflecting on life and death is essential, especially when we do this steeped in belief in the resurrection of Jesus. Funeral rites emphasize sadness and joy at the same time. Human beings need to grieve and process grief. If this does not happen, the hurt festers. The wake, the funeral, the internment all are meant to console the friends and families of those who die.
When we contemplate a death, we reflect on mystery. We make a statement of faith as Martha did in the Gospel of John. She said of her brother Lazarus, “I know he will rise again at the resurrection on the last day.” Jesus helped grieving families navigate the emotions of death. He can do the same for us.
We need only to allow Him to walk with us in our grief through the funeral rites of the Church. When we pray at the time of death, we allow the supernatural power of God to lift us out of our sadness.
Blessings,
Fr. Mark