Scriptural wake service?

[acadian]

My pastor’s mother recently passed away.

The obituary notes that there will be a “scriptural wake service” at the funeral home. What is a scriptural wake service, exactly? Is it the same as a Rosary? A scriptural Rosary?

A google search turns up a whole bunch of other obituaries for folks having a “Scriptural Wake Service”.

 

[Chatter163]

It is most likely a Liturgy of the Word.

 

[Phemie]

Could they be talking about a Funeral Vigil?

The Order of Christian Funerals gives us Vigils that include

Sign of the Cross
Greeting
Opening Song/Hymn
Invitation to Prayer
Opening Prayer
First Reading
Responsorial Psalm
Gospel
Homily
Prayers of Intercessions
Lord’s Prayer
Concluding Prayer
Responsory
Blessing
Closing Hymn &/or Sign of Peace

 

[acadian]

Could they be talking about a Funeral Vigil?

The Order of Christian Funerals gives us Vigils that include

Sign of the Cross
Greeting
Opening Song/Hymn
Invitation to Prayer
Opening Prayer
First Reading
Responsorial Psalm
Gospel
Homily
Prayers of Intercessions
Lord’s Prayer
Concluding Prayer
Responsory
Blessing
Closing Hymn &/or Sign of Peace

That was almost exactly it, Phemie! No singing. His homily was basically a thank you to everyone on behalf of his family for all of the prayers that they have been the beneficiary of then last month. Very brief, but he is never long-winded. The whole thing from start to finish was about ten minutes.

 

[Phemie]

That was almost exactly it, Phemie! No singing. His homily was basically a thank you to everyone on behalf of his family for all of the prayers that they have been the beneficiary of then last month. Very brief, but he is never long-winded. The whole thing from start to finish was about ten minutes.

The singing is optional. If the family is very involved in planning this liturgy, we usually have singing because they make sure there is someone there to lead it. If the family is only going along with what the Church provides, then it’s usually a very short liturgy. In both cases we involve the family in reading the First Reading and the Responsorial Psalm. Whoever is leading this liturgy reads the Gospel. If the priest is not the one leading it there is usually just a silent reflection, no homily.

While in the US the funeral liturgy has a place at the end for someone for a family member or friend to say something (which usually ends up being a eulogy), in Canada that option is included in the Funeral Vigil liturgy, not at the Funeral Mass itself.

I’ve led several of these liturgies in recent years since we’ve often been weeks without a priest in the community. First it was because the Pastor was in another community and now it’s because we have no Pastor and the administrator doesn’t want to do anything that doesn’t require a priest.

This week he’s out of the community and the other person who usually does these liturgies with me had to go to the hospital to baptize a sick baby on Sunday. But next month we should hear who is being named Pastor and he should be taking his place in our community in August. It can’t happen soon enough.

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