Monica said to St Augustine ‘I don’t care where you put this body of mine but don’t forget me at the altar of God.’ We often hear funerals are about the living not the dead.

When I was first ordained over 27 years ago. When we got a funeral on the form was also a time for the rosary at the wake service.. At some point the priest would come and pray the Rosary for the family.. in the 27 years since I was ordained.. I doubt if 1 family in 5 ask the priest to lead the rosary..

What has changed., ? We now call funerals ‘celebrations of life ‘ instead of the rosary we watch a video of picture of the deceased person with a back drop music from some feel good song from the ‘80’

After this there is a long time given to people allowed to give their testimonies about the person. And often the stream of people coming to give their remembrance of the deceased can seem to go on forever!!

What has changed. We now see funerals as celebration of life. And funerals are about the living not the dead.. actually I think we have got it backwards funerals are about the dead more than the living. As the person who really need our prayers is most often the dead person and not those still alive. Funerals are not about us feeling better.. funerals are about the family gathering together for the rosary and the Mass

What would the deceased person say at their own funeral as they are meeting Jesus in Judgment. They might say ‘stop with all the trivial cute stories about my life. ‘ that often only serve to make us feel better but do nothing for the deceased. I think the deceased would say to us gathered ‘remember your death and that you yourself will stand before Jesus in Judgement ‘ death is serious business and the best thing we can do at a funeral is to carry the deceased to Heaven in prayer than trying to make ourselves feel good.