Christian Funerals
From the Catechism of the Catholic Church, Simplified
The Life to Come (1680)
All the sacraments seek to lead the child of God into the kingdom. "I look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come" (Nicene Creed).
From Sacraments to Eternal Life (1681-1683)
Christ's death and Resurrection reveals the Christian meaning of death, namely, to be "away from the body and at home with the Lord" (1 Cor 5:81).
A Christian's death inaugurates the end of his sacramental life and the beginning of the kingdom (even if final purification is needed before the nuptial banquet).
During life, Holy Mother Church carried the person sacramentally within her womb. At a funeral, the Church surrenders the baptized "into the Father's hands," with the hope of his rising to glory.
Celebration of Funerals (1684-1685)
The funeral is neither a sacrament nor a sacramental for the person has already passed beyond all sacraments. The funeral expresses a communion with the deceased and a proclaiming of eternal life to those gathered.
The funeral rites express Christ's death and rising according to the traditions of each region (as with the color of the vestments).
Three Places of Celebration (1686-1690)
The Order of Christian Funerals envisions three different places of celebration (the home, the Church, and the cemetery) and has four elements:
- The community receives a word of greeting in faith which offers the Spirit's consolation and points beyond this world's prospective.
- The liturgy of the Word and homily need careful preparation because many might be present who rarely come to church. The homily should not be a eulogy but should illumine this mystery of death by Christ's light.
- The Eucharistic Sacrifice expresses the Church's communion with the deceased, asks Christ to purify the person and helps the family to be one with the person who "has fallen asleep in the Lord."
- In the final commendation, the Church gives her "last farewell to one of her members." "For even dead, we are not at all separated from one another, because we all run the same course and we will find one another again in the same place" (St. Simeon of Thessalonica).
Five riveting true stories by people who have experienced supernatural Warnings. order »
Join the movement! Pray 12 minutes a day to help God save America. order »
Find friends in the world's largest directory of Catholic young adult groups. Learn More »
Our supporters have distributed tens of millions of life-changing Catholic gifts since 1991, making us America's largest producer of high-quality, super-affordable tools for evangelization. Join our work today!
See All Our Catholic Materials
Meet Bud Macfarlane, Our Founder
