For the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross…
…so must the Son of Man be lifted up, so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.
John 3: 14-15
The funeral rites of the Church are some of the most beautiful liturgies I’ve experienced. As a young adult, when my father passed away, it was the prayers and symbols of the funeral Mass—the incense, the pall, the sprinkling with water, the sharing of Communion—that brought comfort and consolation amidst great grief.
Jesus never shies away from the reality of death. He doesn’t ignore it or color it over with platitudes. He who took on our humanity confronts death head-on, accompanying those who mourn and even accepting a humiliating death on a cross.
In a culture that tries to stave off and deny death, Christians are called to stand with those who are dying or mourning by acknowledging their pain and sorrow. We are also called to offer hope in the God who stands with us and died for us so that we all might live for eternity.
Jonathan F. Sullivan
This is guest post from Jonathan F. Sullivan. Learn more about him at LivingFaith.com
