The Mystery of Death and Christian Funerals

The next part of the funeral Mass is the reading from the scriptures. "The reading of the Word of God is an essential element of the celebration of the funeral liturgy. The readings proclaim the paschal mystery, teach remembrance of the dead, convey the hope of being gathered together again in God's Kingdom, and encourage the witness of Christian life. Above all, the readings tell of God's design for a world in which suffering and death will relinquish their hold on all...God has called his own. (#137)." Ordinarily there are three readings. The first is taken from the Hebrew Scriptures. A competent lector presents the word. Then the community responds in faith by singing the responsorial psalm. "Through the psalms the community expresses its grief and praise, and acknowledges its Creator and Redeemer as the sure source of trust and hope in times of trial (#139)." There follows a reading taken from one of the letters of Saint Paul or the Apocalypse. A competent lector presents the word. The final reading is a selection from the Gospels. A competent priest or deacon presents the word.

A homily is preached at every funeral liturgy. This is an important and delicate moment for the assembly-in-grief. The homily is not an eulogy. Eulogies and words of remembrance are ideally to be done at the wake service. The homily is not a teaching moment used for instructing the assembly on the verities of death, judgement, purgatory, heaven and hell. The homily is not be cold and impersonal. Nor should it be a canned, one size-fit-all sermon. The homily carefully crafts words that manifest the tender mercy of God and the many ways in which the deceased lived the Christ-life. The homily, while leaving space for tears and grief, is a moment of comfort, inspiration, and hope in God's abundant loving-kindness. The pastoral notes of the Ordo of Christian Funerals address this. "The homilist should dwell on God's compassionate love and on the paschal mystery of the Lord as proclaimed in the Scripture readings. Through the homily, the community should receive the consolation and strength to face the death of one of its members with a hope that has been nourished by he proclamation of the saving word of God (#141)." In addition, the homilist needs more than panegyric skills that bedazzle the hearers. The homilist needs a compassionate heart and feel for people. The best preachers are more than clever and compelling wordsmiths. They are pastors who have the ability to catch the cues and comprehend the climate of a family-in-grief. They tune into the faith of a family facing death and resurrection, terror and triumph in Christ. Good homilies raise the spirit. Poor homilies sour the soul.

The prayers of intercession follow the homily. "In the intercessions the community responds to the proclamation of the word of God by prayer for the deceased and all the dead, for the bereaved and all who mourn, and for all in the assembly. The intercessions provided may be used or adapted to the circumstances, or new intercessions may be composed (#142)." Prayers that are conceived, crafted, and prayed well, bring spiritual comfort.