Posted by Lisa Hendey in Faith on Wednesday, December 03, 2008 4:33 PM
Last week, our parish and school community were hit hard by the sudden loss of two of our members to untimely deaths. So this week, we will be gathering twice within three days as a community to celebrate Masses of Christian Burial.
Yesterday was the first of the two funerals, to celebrate the life of a seventeen year old who had been suffering protracted illness and injury for the past year. Russell’s family lovingly cared for him through the months of intensive care, rehabilitation hospitals and ultimately around the clock in-home care. His passing came after a quick re-hospitalization and he was surrounded by family and friends who had been touched by his zest for life.
To sit at a teenager’s funeral is a heart-wrenching experience. I watched Rusell’s friends from school process forward to received communion, many of them lovingly reaching out to his parents in silent embrace as they passed by them to receive the Eucharist. It was such a symbolic representation of the loving support we gather and take from our parish community as a part of the Universal Body of Christ. I’m sure it brought a certain degree of comfort to Russell’s parents to have so many people present for the Mass.
As I’ve matured, I find my attitude about funerals changing and evolving. I used to hate and avoid them like the plague. I can’t say I like going to funerals now, but I do find a sense of peace and solace in the Church’s rites and traditions. I walked away from Russell’s funeral yesterday feeling a sense of calm, peace and ultimately unconditional love.
Today as I pray for both families who lost loved ones this week, and for those two new souls on their journeys to heaven, I count my blessings for having such a tremendous faith family and for a sense of belonging in this big Church home we all share.
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I know what you mean about a teenager’s funeral being a heart-wrenching experience. We experienced one at our old parish in Colorado, but also heart-warming to see the outpouring of support from the whole community and all the young people from the high school - it was a standing-room only funeral.
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