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The Church Service
The
second of the three parts that comprise a Catholic funeral takes place in
the church building. This is the place “where the community of faith
assembles for worship. The church is the place where the Christian life is
begotten in baptism, nourished in the Eucharist, and where the community
gathers to commend one of its deceased members to the Father.” (OCF, 131) The funeral Mass
is the preferred service in the church and “the central celebration of the
Christian community for the deceased.” (OCF,
128)
At
a funeral Mass, the casket is received at the church, sprinkled with holy
water, and covered with a white cloth. These signs recall baptism, the
sacrament that brought the deceased into a relationship with the Christian
community. Afterwards, readings from the Scriptures and the Liturgy of the
Eucharist take place as they normally do at a Sunday Mass. At the end of
the funeral Mass the deceased is commended to God’s mercy and the community
expresses its farewell to someone who will no longer gather at its altar
table, but whom we pray will be granted a place at God’s heavenly table.
The
funeral Mass begins with Introductory Rites that include the reception of
the body. The priest goes to the doors of the church where he greets the
mourners and receives the body of the deceased. At this time, the casket is
sprinkled with holy water and covered with a white pall. These rites recall
the sacrament of baptism by which the deceased was raised to a new
relationship with God, given the promise of eternal life and made part of
God’s Church.
After
the rites at the doors of the church, the casket is brought forward and
placed near the altar. The people follow the casket and take their places
in the assembly. During the procession all join in singing an appropriate
hymn or psalm. At the conclusion of the song, the opening prayer is then
prayed by the priest and all then sit for the Liturgy of the Word.
The
Liturgy of the Word may follow
the model of either a Sunday Mass or a weekday Mass. In other words,
"depending on pastoral circumstances, there can be either one or two
readings before the Gospel reading." (OCF, 138) The
first reading and second reading should be proclaimed by a reader from the
parish, by a family member or friend capable of exercising this ministry.
The
responsorial psalm that follows the first reading and the acclamation
before the Gospel should be sung by a member of the music ministry. After
the Gospel is proclaimed by either a priest or a deacon, the homily
follows. “A brief homily based on the readings is always given after the Gospel
reading at the funeral liturgy ...
but there is never to be a eulogy. Attentive to the grief of those
present, the homilist should dwell on God's compassionate love and on the
paschal mystery of the Lord, as proclaimed in the Scripture readings."
(OCF, 27) The general intercessions
conclude the Liturgy of the Word. These intercessions may be proclaimed by
a deacon, a reader or another person capable of announcing the intentions
for which the community is being called to pray.
The
Liturgy of the Eucharist then begins and follows the pattern of Sunday
Mass. “The community, having been spiritually renewed at the table of God's
word, turns for spiritual nourishment to the table of the Eucharist...In
partaking of the body of Christ, all are given a foretaste of eternal life
in Christ and are united with Christ, with each other, and with all the
faithful, living and dead." (OCF,
143)
The
Liturgy of the Eucharist includes the presentation of the gifts, the eucharistic
prayer and the distribution of holy Communion. At the start of the Liturgy
of the Eucharist, the gifts of bread and wine may be brought to the altar
by relatives and friends of the deceased. It is not appropriate to present
items associated with the deceased.
The
Final Commendation, which follows the distribution of holy Communion,
brings the funeral Mass to its completion. "The final commendation is
a final farewell by the members of the community, an act of respect for one
of their members, whom they entrust to the tender mercy and merciful
embrace of God. This act of
last farewell also acknowledges the reality of separation and affirms that
the community and the deceased, baptized into one Body, share the same
destiny, resurrection on the last day." (OCF, 146)
The
final commendation, which the priest leads as he stands near the casket,
includes an invitation to prayer, a period of silence, the incensing of the
casket, the song of farewell, and the prayer of commendation.
Before
this final commendation begins, a family member or friend may speak in
remembrance of the deceased. (OCF, 170) However, such words of remembrance
are strictly optional, and in some places, they are not permitted at this
time. Such words of remembrance are not a eulogy, but rather a short
prayerful recollection of some aspect of the Christian life of the
deceased.
The
Procession to the Place of Committal follows the final commendation. The
deacon or priest says “In peace, let us take our brother/sister to his/her
place of rest.” At this point the closing song begins and the priest and
other ministers lead the casket from the church as the congregation
follows. The mourners then accompany the body to its place of final
disposition where the rite of committal is celebrated.
On a day when a funeral
Mass cannot be celebrated, such as on a holy day of obligation, Holy
Thursday, Good Friday or Holy Saturday, the body of the deceased is still
brought to the church building. Instead of a Mass another type of church
service is celebrated. This service, which centers on God’s word, is
similar to a funeral Mass, but it does not include the Liturgy of the
Eucharist. In other words, it includes the introductory rites, the Liturgy
of the Word, the final commendation and the procession as described above.
When this type of service is celebrated, a memorial Mass may and should be
celebrated for the deceased at a later date.
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