 Fr.
Tom's Tomes May 24, 2009
This weekend we celebrate Memorial Day. The celebration of Memorial Day started as a way to remember all those who serve our country in the armed forces and lost their lives fighting for the freedom we all enjoy today. From this start Memorial Day has taken on additional meaning as to remember all who have died. This weekend many people will go to the graves of family members and decorate them with flowers as a way of remembering the deceased. In the Catholic Church we believe the human body is a temple of the Holy Spirit. Jesus dwells in each of us. Many of us have learned this either in Catholic Schools or through CCD programs. When we believe the Holy Spirit dwells within us and all people, then we should realize this when encountering other people. When we talk to another person we should remember that Christ is within that person also. Catholic beliefs influence the way we should respond to a person who is dying or has died. The Catholic Church has the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick which is for anyone who is experiencing a serious illness or a person who has a chronic illness. The Anointing of the Sick should be received by anyone who has found out that an illness may lead to death. The Anointing of the Sick should be given at the time a person finds this information out and not when the person is about to die. The Anointing of the Sick spiritually assists the individual who is ill. Christ is the ultimate healer and will help all who are sick. If you or someone you know is seriously ill please call the parish office to set up a time to receive the Anointing of the Sick. In the past many people recall “The Last Rites.” There is not a sacrament in the Catholic Church called “The Last Rites.” The Anointing of the Sick is the sacrament assisting the person in time of illness. This sacrament should be celebrated before the person dies. If a person dies and you call the priest, he really should only say prayers for the deceased. In the Sacramental rites of the Church no anointing should be given but only prayers for the dead prayed. It is more important the Anointing of the Sick and the reception of Communion be received while the person is ill. In accord with the teaching of the Catholic Church the dying should be given attention and care to help them live their last moments in dignity and peace. They will be helped by the prayer of their relatives, who must see to it that the sick receive at the proper time the sacraments that prepare them to meet the living God. (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2299) When a person dies the bodies of the dead must be treated with respect and charity, in faith and hope of the Resurrection. The burial of the dead is a corporal work of mercy, it honors the children of God, who are temples of the Holy Spirit. (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2300) At funeral Masses we remember the person was a temple of the Holy Spirit. Funeral Masses commemorate the fact Jesus died for our salvation. Funeral Masses are a time to focus on the fact of Jesus’ love for us and how we are to follow in his footsteps. The body is taken to the cemetery to be buried. It is with respect we bury the body. Catholics believe at the end of time Jesus will come again to reunite the soul and body and the final judgment will occur. As Catholics we need to respect the deceased person. This Memorial Day as you visit the cemeteries let us remember the person(s) who have died and pray for them. |