Let's face it, funerals rarely feel joyful and happy. As such, deacons may elect to not wear a Dalmatic during a funeral Mass as a conscious act of solidarity with the family and friends of the deceased, who are mourning a great loss.
As we contemplate that sense of loss, we remember that the shortest verse in the Bible is "Jesus wept". This occurred at the tomb of His recently deceased friend Lazarus. Those two simple words informs the level of empathy Jesus has for those in mourning as we know Jesus deeply relates to the loss we feel when someone close to us dies. It is comforting for us to bear in mind that Jesus is here, substantially present in the Eucharist, to mourn with us and to walk with us in our hurts and our pains. And, we, as the Church of Jesus Christ, comes together in a special way during the funeral Mass to mourn with each other in solidarity as the mystical Body of Christ.
At the same time, we must remember that in the midst of the sadness and the grief, there truly is joy and happiness. Faith tells us mortal death is not the end, it is only the beginning of eternity. Through death, our baptism is fulfilled. Through death, we undergo the final purgation of our corrupt sinful nature to be brought into total conformity to and freedom with the Son of God...our sanctification is completed. Through death, we gain admittance into the fullness of the Wedding Supper of the Lamb and we are introduced into the love of the Holy Trinity.
As Christians, we live this mortal life in the womb of the Catholic Church. It is at this moment, the funeral Mass, that the Church births us into eternity. It is at this moment, the funeral Mass, that the Church unites our death to the Sacrifice of Jesus at Calvary. It is at this moment, the funeral Mass, that the Church commends our soul into the hands of God the Father.
Which brings us to the heart of the matter. At the climax of the Paschal mystery, Jesus commends His spirit into the Hands of the Father. It is through the Paschal mystery of Christ that death takes on a certain dignity. In His passion, death, and resurrection, Jesus destroys the kingdom of sin and death.
Therefore, it is important that we strive to always be fortified by the Sacraments of the Church, particularly at the hour of death, so we can die with the merits of Calvary. We must never lose hope that the Sacraments have as their goal the final Passover feast...this Paschal mystery that, through death, leads to eternal life.
For Christians, the Paschal mystery, particularly the Eucharist, is at the center of both our life and our death. As Jesus said, “Amen, amen, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him on the last day. For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink.”
It is through the Eucharist (the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Christ) that we can continue to be in an intimate communion with those that have gone before us in faith. Every time we go to Mass, every single time, we substantially participate in the great worship of heaven. We can have great hope that our dearly departed are participating in the same worship. As a result, we are sacramentally present to each other in the Eucharist. We can continue to pray for our dearly departed in their transition into eternity and they will continue to pray for us as we endeavor to trudge the road of happy destiny. So, in Christian faith, hope, and love; death is not goodbye, but rather, we'll be with you in the Paschal mystery. A joyful and happy day indeed.
