From the Pastor - 5th Sunday of Lent

From the Pastor – 5th Sunday of Lent

If there is one consistent message in the readings for this Fifth Sunday of Lent, it is that we must look to the future, not to the past. As Catholic Christians, we are a people of eternity, a people who concentrate on the hope and promise of our Lord and Savior. Jesus reminds us many times that His “Kingdom is not of this world.” (Jn 18:36)

Living a life of stewardship places a person with an eye always on that other kingdom. St. Augustine once wrote that “A life of holiness does not lead one to Jesus, but Jesus can lead one to a life of holiness.” That is our challenge as good stewards — to keep our eyes on the Lord, our minds open to His Word., and our hearts open to His love. If we do that in the present, the past will not weigh heavily upon us, and the future will take care of itself.

If we truly attempt to live lives of stewardship, we must keep in mind that we follow that way of life as a “calling.” However, we are not to condemn others because they fail to live that way. We also must remember to love all regardless whether we think they are “good” Christians or not. All of this is fulfilled because we understand that our rewards are in Heaven, not necessarily on earth — in the future, not in the present. The eminent scholar, author, and Christian apologist C.S. Lewis put it this way: “When Christians cease to think of the other world in their future is when they become ineffective in this one.”

Pastoral Pondering

Last week I discussed some points to ponder in relation to Christian burial and Catholic burial rites, and we continue with that discussion this week.

Cremation — Cremation is not the norm in the Catholic Church. The norm is to prepare the body and have the full body present for all the Funeral Rites and then to bury or entomb the body. “The Church clearly prefers and urges that the body of the deceased be present for the funeral rites, since the presence of the human body better expresses the values which the Church affirms in those rites. “The Church’s teaching in regard to the human body as well as the Church’s preference for the burial of the body should be a regular part of catechesis on all levels, and pastors should make particular efforts to preserve this important teaching” (OCF, 413-414).

The reasons for the Church’s teaching in this regard include the following: 1. The Lord Himself willed to be buried. “... (the funeral) should be carried out in a way...that clearly expresses the Church’s preference for the custom of burying the dead, after the example of Christ’s own will to be buried.” (OCF 415) 2. On a natural level the presence of the body expresses the manner in which we had been accustomed to relate to the person. (OCF) 3. Values on the supernatural level are affirmed. It teaches the supernatural dignity and destiny of the human body. “The body of a deceased brings forcefully to mind the church’s conviction that the human body is in Christ a temple of the Holy Spirit and is destined for future glory at the resurrection of the dead. This conviction in faith finds its expression in a sustained and insistent prayer that commends the deceased person to God’s merciful care so that his or her place in the communion of the just may be assured.” (OCF)

The Church does not forbid cremation, as long as it is not chosen in opposition to the Church’s teaching. However, as noted above, it is certainly not what Catholic funeral rites envision. Oftentimes folks choose cremation because of related expenses. It should be kept in mind though that it is possible to bury the body with only modest funeral expenses involved and there are many options of in-ground vaults or above-ground vaults. We should provide for this worthy expense in honor of the creation of God we were. Much money is spent during our lives on so many other matters and we should make provision for our full body burial. Sometimes this method is not much more than cremation services.

When cremation is chosen the following should be remembered: 1. If for some good reason a person is to be cremated, the Church asks that we do this after the Mass of Christian Burial. This means that an inexpensive casket must be purchased or rented from the funeral home. 2. After cremation the cremated remains are to be placed in a worthy vessel (not a simple box) and must be buried or placed in a columbarium with the Rite of Committal. The place of burial or inurnment should be clearly marked with the pertinent information of the deceased indicated. 3. The remains are never to be kept in anyone’s home, divided among family members, made into jewelry or scattered in any way or anywhere. We will not have a funeral at St. Mark unless we have notice from the funeral director and/or cemetery where the remains are to be interred if they are to be interred in another place at a later date.

A place of burial is important because our cemeteries are places of great sign value as were the catacombs of old. The grave and the marker are visible signs that a person did live and that it mattered that he or she lived. Years from now someone will walk by our graves and remember us and that it was important that we lived and died. Cemeteries are places of catechesis about death and they are places of prayer in the context of the communion of saints and our waiting for the final coming of the Lord

If you would like assistance in pre-planning for your funeral Mass, please contact the parish office. Deacon Louie or Deacon Rich normally coordinate this, and they would be more than happy to assist you in any way you can. Taking time to plan beforehand, makes everyone’s life easier when our earthly journey comes to an end.