"Now when you, Tobit, and Sarah prayed, it was I who presented the record of your prayer before the Glory of the Lord; and likewise whenever you used to bury the dead. When you did not hesitate to get up and leave your dinner in order to go and bury that dead man." Tobit 12:12-13
October Spotlight: Bury the Dead
According to the Book of Tobit, burying the dead was an important work of charity: “I had performed many charitable deeds for my kindred. … I would give my bread to the hungry and clothing to the naked. If I saw one of my people who died and been thrown behind the wall of Nineveh, I used to bury him” (Tobit 1:16-17).
As with all of the works of mercy, what is emphasized here is the importance of compassion for others and the need to treat everyone with the dignity and respect they deserve as people created by a loving God.
Showing love for others, even after death, is how Jesus’ disciples are to show their love for God.
This month's Saintly Inspiration comes from:
St. Joseph of Arimethea
After Jesus died on the cross, Joseph of Arimathea arranged for an honorable burial. He was a bright bit of light during the dark days of Holy Week.
St. Michael the Archangel
Michael the Archangel is still called a saint because he resides in heaven in communion with God. Michael the Archangel has four main responsibilities or offices, as we know from scripture and Christian tradition. The first is to combat Satan. The second is to escort the faithful to heaven at their hour of death. The third is to be a champion of all Christians, and the Church itself. And the fourth is to call men from life on Earth to their heavenly judgment.
Agents of Mercy - Your mission, should you choose to accept... to Bury the Dead
A few suggestions for agents of all ages:
- Beginning with All Saints Day on Nov. 1 and All Souls Day on Nov. 2, November is a very appropriate time to pray for the deceased.
- Take a walk through a cemetery and pray a rosary for those buried there.
- Visit a historic cemetery and encourage your children to look for the oldest dates and recognize Christian symbols on gravestones. Pray for those who may have been forgotten – perhaps those with the most faded gravestones – and have no one else to intercede for them.
- Clean up around graves that have been neglected
- Offer to help prepare food, shop for or serve at a funeral reception at the parishlunches after a service?
- If you can bake a sheet pan’s worth of brownies with a few days’ notice, consider it a hidden act of charity and a way to offer consolation without directly knowing the deceased.
- The Order of Christian Funerals continues to say that members of the community should console the mourners with words of faith and support and with acts of kindness. You can offer to schedule meal deliveries for grieving family or perform chores such as yardwork. Consider the tasks you do every day and might take for granted: Could your family take on one of these tasks for a family in your faith community during their time of mourning?
Finally, if you’re ever on the fence about taking children to a funeral Mass, I encourage you to do so. This does require discernment of the grieving family’s situation and your children’s sensitivity, as well as preparing your children for what they can expect to see. But the Catholic funeral liturgy is a powerful reminder of our hope in Jesus' victory over death. Participating in a funeral Mass is the primary way we can practice the “ministry of consolation,” and even a young child’s fumbled Our Father or mere presence in the pew is part of that. In a very real way, when they are present at Mass, they are participants in this work of mercy, too.
go to a funeral (yes, even kids)
visit a cemetery and put flowers on graves
learn about your ancestors
pick up trash around the grounds.
Attend the funeral
If possible, go to the funeral or wake of a loved one. Your presence can be a great comfort, even if you don't speak to the grieving person.
Send a note of condolence
A note of condolence can be a comfort in the days and weeks after a death.
Offer support
In the weeks and months after the funeral, you can offer support by calling or emailing the grieving person, or including them in plans.
Pray for the dead
Prayer is an important part of the Catholic funeral rite. The Catholic Church believes that prayer can help loved ones get to heaven.
Remember that grief is a process
No two people grieve in the same way, and it's important to remember that those you love can grow through the grief.
• Provide companionship, be a good listener, have compassion. • Offer prayers for the terminally ill, and for the peace and comfort of surviving family. • Urge those who have difficulty in coping to seek pastoral or professional counseling. • Support organizations which care for the dying and those that offer grief counseling. • Attend funeral or wake services; your presence can mean so much to survivors.
t is in the weeks and months after the funeral when our support can mean the most. A daily phone call or email just to let the grieving person know we care can be a boost in a painful day. We can include a grieving person in lunch, dinner or other plans. At the end of the meal, I can make plans to meet my friend for coffee, giving him/her something to look forward to.
From Daniel B.:
Sending a rose or flowers to a widow or widower on the anniversary of the deceased death or wedding anniversary.
Having a Mass said for the deceased.
A simple phone call to the person on the day of death or wedding anniversary or Christmas/Easter/ other holidays
From Mary G:
I note the death of a special person on my calendar and can then tell the mother, sibling or living spouse when that person is remembered on the anniversary of his/her death. I had an elderly girlfriend who told me even her children had not spoken to her on that day. Very sad to be so quickly forgotten.
From SW:
"I live in a small town and our church still provides a funeral luncheon in our social hall. It takes many hands to provide this service of love and caring."
“To pray for the dead is an act of charity. They are our brothers and sisters in Christ, and they are in need of prayerful assistance. We have a special obligation to pray for those who were close to us on earth,”