Transcript
After participating in a Catholic funeral service, people often comment on how moving and comforting they found it. As in many other funeral services, we give thanks for the life of the person who has died, we show our comfort for those who are grieving, and we use deeply symbolic rituals to affirm our hope of sharing in the new life of Jesus’ resurrection. Perhaps one of the distinctive features of a Catholic funeral is the emphasis we place on praying for the person who has died. Conscious that we are all shaped by imperfections and flaws, we know that we rely on God’s love and mercy to reach out and heal us in our lives, and we ask God to continue that work of healing in our loved one who has died. I think praying for someone at a funeral feels natural because we are already so accustomed to praying for one another. We unite ourselves regularly in prayerful solidarity with the needs of people around the world, based on our belief that God’s love unites us in communion with one another. Confident that God’s love extends this communion beyond the limits of our immediate place and time, we continue to pray for one another even after death. We deepen our communion with God’s people through all places and times by praying for those who have died, at their funeral, at particular anniversaries, and on this annual commemoration of all the faithful departed. May all our loved ones rest in Christ’s peace, and rise with Him in glory.