In spite of the sadness of letting go and giving back to God a person who is dear to us, we Christians believe that death is not an end, but a beginning; that a beloved has passed through death from this present, temporary life to a perfect, permanent one; that he or she who saw God in faith on earth now sees the Lord face to face in heaven; that while death separates us now, it is but for a time only. Soon we will be reunited, as God tells us in the Bible, with those we love in a “dwelling provided for us by God, a dwelling in the heavens, not made by hands but to last forever." (2 Corinthians 5:1)
The Funeral Mass especially expresses this faith in Jesus’ victory over death and our personal share in that resurrection. It does so through prayers and blessings, through songs and readings, through ceremonies and symbols. A Consolation Minister will meet with family members to help plan the Mass. We ask the family to choose four hymns from the list given below. Try to pick songs that will be meaningful to you; will help to remember the deceased; and express our faith in the Lord’s resurrection. We also ask you to choose two readings, one from the Old Testament and one from the New Testament. Only during the EASTER SEASON - from Easter to Pentecost Sunday - are both readings taken from the New Testament, the first reading being taken from the special Easter selection. Meditate a bit on the readings first and then choose the two that speak best to your heart and reflect God’s working in your lives at this moment.
May God hold you in the palm of his hand; console you through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ; and strengthen you in the Holy Spirit.
