D
Didi
Guest
My husband and I attended a non-denominational funeral yesterday; the father of some good friends. It was a nice service and was more like a wake with people sharing their memories of Everett, a couple of songs, a brief sermon on accepting Jesus and being saved.
What I noticed most (besides the emptiness with no liturgy or Blessed Sacrament) was the lack of prayer for the deceased. There were no prayers for this man, no blessings said, and for me it just seemed so sad.
It reminded me of a statement my brother (not Catholic) made after the suicide of my cousin – that we need to pray for the living because the dead are beyond our reach. This also made me so sad because our brothers and sisters in Christ are missing out on the gift and the privilege of being able to pray for those who have left this world before us. It is as if there is no longer any connection to them, and it must make their grief more difficult than for those who know and understand we can pray for their souls and that those who are deceased can also pray for us.
Anyway, just wondered if you have had similar experiences and how we can come to share our belief in a continued connection with our brothers and sisters in the Body of Christ with those who do not believe in this, or who have never even heard of it.
What I noticed most (besides the emptiness with no liturgy or Blessed Sacrament) was the lack of prayer for the deceased. There were no prayers for this man, no blessings said, and for me it just seemed so sad.
It reminded me of a statement my brother (not Catholic) made after the suicide of my cousin – that we need to pray for the living because the dead are beyond our reach. This also made me so sad because our brothers and sisters in Christ are missing out on the gift and the privilege of being able to pray for those who have left this world before us. It is as if there is no longer any connection to them, and it must make their grief more difficult than for those who know and understand we can pray for their souls and that those who are deceased can also pray for us.
Anyway, just wondered if you have had similar experiences and how we can come to share our belief in a continued connection with our brothers and sisters in the Body of Christ with those who do not believe in this, or who have never even heard of it.
