Catholic Traditions

By Helen Gonsalves -
At a recent funeral of the bother of a very dear family friend I was struck by how comforting all the rituals were to all of us. Almost everyone there was knowledgable about the funeral rites and it allowed us to relax, to be carried along by the rhythm of the liturgy and to be consoled by the comfort of familiar roles and responsibilities.

In Catholic funerals, the Church seeks to provide spiritual support for the deceased and honor their bodies, as well as to provide a measure of hope for the family and friends of the deceased.

I have been to funerals where the closest thing to ritual was a CD playing “I can’t give you anything but love, Baby,” as the crematorium doors opened. [I kid you not.]

Others might find such off-beat funerals meaningful and original, but, when I am deep in sorrow, I don’t want anything new – I want the comfort of the tried and true.

Do you feel the same way?

Comments

  1. Anonymous5:44 pm, May 31, 2011

    Yes I do.

    ReplyDelete
  2. joannaB735:56 pm, May 31, 2011

    I think the comfort of the traditional in the Church is part of the feeling of 'Home'. God knows that traditions and security are important to us and that is why He provides them in the Catholic Church for us. I too have been to a very meaningless funeral overseen by a lady MC who tried to say all the 'right thing' but none of which actually meant anything to anyone there let alone the deceased!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Anonymous7:45 pm, May 31, 2011

    The rituals are important because they bind us to our faith. They give us comfort when we are sick, sad or bereaved. Provide courage and strength when we are in despair. Our rituals set us Catholics apart, but in a good way because they bring us closer to God.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Sue8:01 am, June 01, 2011

    Priest's Housekeeper.
    What is your picture?
    Can you tell us something about it please?

    ReplyDelete
  5. Anonymous10:33 am, June 01, 2011

    Hi Sue,
    I wish I could! I came across this lovely picture years ago on my way around the web but I can't remember where. The colours caught my eye and I thought I would use it for my profile.
    Annx

    ReplyDelete
  6. EC Gefroh12:47 pm, June 01, 2011

    There is something so comforting in the beautiful Catholic funeral...the words, the sacrifice of the mass of course, the music... It was very comforting to my poor mother to listen to Ave Maria at my father's funeral.

    ReplyDelete

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