Sunday, January 24, 2016

A Word from Your Pastor - January 24

Dear Parishioners:

The Corporal and Spiritual Works of Mercy are actions we can perform that extend God’s compassion and mercy to those in need.
Corporal Works of Mercy

The Corporal Works of Mercy are these kind acts by which we help our neighbors with their material and physical needs.
·       bury the dead

Our Parish has a wonderful ministry of support for those who experience the loss of loved ones.  We do our best to make this a communal experience of comfort and care.  From the first moment we hear word of the loss of loved ones to the time that follows, we keep the grieving members of their families in our minds and hearts. 

We pray for them by name at weekend and daily Masses.  At the time of death, our Bereavement Ministry Team enters into the scene, assisting the families in whatever way is needed with the planning of the Funeral Liturgy.  The Resurrection Choir accommodates musical needs at the Funeral Mass, supplying music and working with any family members or friends who wish to participate in some way.  They also serve as backup for Readers and Extraordinary Ministers as needed.  The Bereavement Luncheon Team works to arrange for a meal after the funeral when requested.  After the Funeral, The Bereavement Ministry continues to keep in touch, sending a card and letting the families know about the All Souls Day Mass on November 2 in the year of the death.

Being attentive to the living who are left behind by deceased loved ones is one part of the corporal work of mercy.  Another part is showing respect to the earthly remains of the person who has died.  Our current culture often misses the point that respect for the body, or the cremains if cremation takes place, is an affirmation of the worth of the human person as such.  Burial in the ground is the preferred method, allowing the grave to symbolize in a practical way our Faith in the resurrection of the body.  Interment of cremains is likewise the proper method to follow through with our belief that “we are dust and unto dust shall we return.”  It is not respectful to separate ashes or to scatter them, even when such a desire has been expressed due to the influence of the culture in which we live.  To bury the dead and to arrange for our own personal burial are an expression of the Catholic Faith in continuity with our Jewish heritage.  Jesus Himself was buried in a tomb.


Attending a funeral is an act of mercy.  Being present to the grieving family and friends even if you did not know the person who died is a sign of solidarity in the human family.


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