My father just passed away and the funeral in church was done already. For some other religion, some prepared a photo of their departed loved ones and put joss stick with food for the loved ones every morning after the funeral .
However, I am not sure what to do after the funeral as a Catholic as all my relatives are non-catholics. Do Catholics light candle and put flowers daily? Appreciate if anyone can advice me.
if you are referring to how families conduct themselves at home after their loved one has been committed to God, those practices are usually cultural even when they have a religous basis, and not governed by the universal Church. What the Church does teach is that we must pray for all the deceased, since we do not know if they had such heroic virtue in their lives that they are immediately admitted to heaven, or if they are working off just punishment for sin in purgatory. So we pray for the dead continually, including having Masses said for them, and that grace is available to them at the moment of death and judgement, because of course they are no longer bound by earthly time.
Where I live the culture is largely Hispanic, specifically Mexican, and the custom is to have a small shrine in the home with a picture of Mary, usually Our Lady of Guadalupe, a crucifix, candles, and pictures and other reminders of our deceased loved ones. After the funeral friends and family gather in the home to pray the rosary every evening for 9 days, the novena, and a Mass is said on the yearly anniversary of death. the Feast of All Souls on Nov. 2 has great importance in this culture, as much as All Saints on Nov. 1, and special Masses are said for all the deceased. In Mexico it is even a bit national holiday, the Day of the Dead. Special temporary shrines are built in homes and cemeteries with remembrances of the deceased. It is a time to remember those we love who have died.
in our parish parishioners have been buying special candles with saint picures for All Saints day, which wall also burn in church for all the Masses on All Souls, and then be taken home for use their, usually on home shrines. There will be special tables set up on Nov. 2 where families can place photographs of deceased loved ones. Remembering our dead has a very special place in our culture, and most families will be visiting cemeteries, cleaning and decorating graves, lots of flowers will be sold for that purpose.
The celebration will be particularly poignant this year as another soldier from the Valley is being brought home for burial this week. some churches have a special display of some kind to honor all those who have died in service of their country.
