Mass of Christian Burial

[RoyNeary2001]

I have been struggling with my Catholic faith for a very long time. My Grandmother recently died after a long illness from Alzheimers. A Mass of Christian Burial was said for her. My Grandfather admittedly is not a Christian man in his opinion, even though he must have received the Sacrament of Matrimony when married to her. My uncle is the only openly religious in the family, even though his faith has wandered from denomination to denomination. I know from family photographs that along with my mother and aunts that they have been Confirmed in the Catholic Church.
So, my Grandmother’s funeral was an awkward reunion experience for the family. My question is what would be the effect of that Mass for individual family members, who for whatever reasons have strayed, wandered or fallen from the faith into indifference, lukewarmness, doubt and other Christian communities?

 

[PhilotheaZ]

A priest I know often includes in his homily at funerals a discussion of three things that should happen at funerals:

1. 
   *]We worship God and thank Him for the life of our deceased loved one.
   *]We pray for the repose of the soul of our deceased loved one, that God will quickly accomplish whatever purification our loved one needs due to any sins she may have committed, so that she might soon enjoy eternal life with Him.
   *]We are reminded of our own mortality, that our life on earth is only for a short time, and that how we live our lives in relationship to God will determine whether we will live with God forever.
   
   Hopefully, the Holy Spirit touched the hearts of some of your family members so that they will begin to sense the importance of #3. The best thing you can do for your family members is to pray for them and to be a good example of a follower of Christ so that they will want to be part of the Church too. And if you think your grandmother is in heaven, it is OK to (privately) ask her to pray for them too.
   
   God bless you, and I pray that your grandmother is presently enjoying seeing God face-to-face.