I have in my hand, a rosary that, ultimately, was a gift from my maternal grandfather. I carry this rosary in the pocket of my cassock at all times. It is with me as I assist at Mass. It is with me at the very altar of God. It is with me when heaven touches earth in the divine liturgy. It is with me as the Holy Spirit transubstantiates simple bread and wine into the very Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Jesus Christ.
Some of you may look at this and just see a simple set of beads. But if you are a fan of the “Lord of the Rings”, which was heavily inspired by the sacramental life Jesus Christ instituted in His Holy Catholic Church, then you know a ring can be more than it appears. Just as David picked up five smooth stones and a sling, a rosary is more than it appears.
With this particular rosary, I carry with me the spiritual heritage of our family. The strong Catholic faith that was given to us by God, passed down to us by the Apostles, and has beat strongly in the hearts of generations of our family going back to the old country in Bavaria…the very heart of the Holy Roman Empire.
I have no doubt this faith beat strongly in the heart of our sister. From everything I could see, she lived out the sacramental life in faith.
I have fond memories as a child, seeing her at Mass as she encountered our Lord and Savior in a very real, tangible, and powerful way through the Word and the Eucharist.
Further, I believe she came to understand the sacramental life in a very profound way. This past summer, I had the opportunity to visit with her for a short bit. We had a great conversation. More importantly, I prayed over her and blessed her. It was an extremely powerful moment of grace where the presence of the Holy Spirit was very evident. She said it was an experience she would “never, ever forget”. Somehow, I think we both knew, in that moment, she had been strengthened for the final stretch of her mortal life.
A few days ago, Father Tomy had the opportunity to administer the Anointing of the Sick to help ensure she died fortified in the sacraments Jesus Christ instituted for our salvation.
We are all aware of the suffering she endured. Anointing of the Sick unites our suffering to the passion and death of Jesus Christ in a very substantial way. It allows Jesus to sacramentally take on our infirmities and bear our diseases. This sacrament helps us turn our suffering into a true sacrifice in union with the once-and-for-all sacrifice of Jesus Christ. It brings a new depth of meaning to our suffering as we truly participate in the saving work of Jesus Christ. I believe this grace was a consolation to her in the last days and hours of her mortal life.
I am certain Anointing of the Sick helped her let go of the things of this world in order to focus more on the things of God, which in turn will now help her transition more easily into eternity.
Anointing of the Sick completed her conformity to the death and resurrection of Christ, just as Baptism began it. This sacrament completes the holy anointings that mark the whole Christian life: Baptism seals the sacramental life in us. Confirmation strengthens us in the sacramental life and aids us in the combat of this mortal life. This last anointing fortifies us in the sacramental life at the end of our mortal life while preparing us for the final struggles entering eternity. She carries this grace into eternity.
That brings us then to the funeral Mass, and by extension, this liturgy, where we formally unite her death to the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on Calvary and we commend her spirit into the loving hands of God, the Father.
We must always remember that the Mass is a direct participation in the great divine liturgy of heaven as it is described in the book of Revelation. Because she died fortified in the Sacraments, we can have great hope that she is fully participating in the same great liturgy. And we can have great hope that we are sacramentally present to her through, with, and in the Eucharist; and she is present to us.
When we go to Mass, we approach Mount Zion as we are sacramentally present to the actual crucifixion of Jesus Christ nearly 2,000 years ago. We are there, with Mary and John, standing at the foot of the cross.
When we go to Mass, we approach the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem. We are in the presence of countless angels in festal gathering. We are in the presence of the assembly of the martyrs, the virgins, and all the other saints that have gone before us in humbly living the sacramental life, including our family and friends that died in a state of grace.
These realities remain true even when our human senses fail, and especially when we choose to not believe.
This can be of great comfort to those of us who may feel like we did not have the opportunity to say goodbye. From a Catholic perspective, there is not a goodbye to say. A spiritual hug through the Eucharist may not feel the same as a physical hug, but it can be every bit as profound.
Back to the rosary. Saint Padre Pio said that holding the rosary is like holding Mary’s hand. The night before she passed away, my father left a rosary on the cabinet next to her bed. The next morning, she was found holding that rosary in her hand. How comforting to know that when she approached our Lord and Savior at the judgement seat, Mary, the mother of God, was with her holding her hand.
Through the Mass and the sacramental life, we continue to have our relationship with her…in many ways now more profound than our mere mortal relationship ever could be.
We can and should continue to pray for her as she completes her transition into eternity. And, she can and will pray for us that we will continue to diligently live the sacramental life of the Catholic Church so we too can one day fully join in the great divine liturgy of heaven.
Across the nearly 2,000 years, the lives of the saints repeatedly and consistently attest to the truth of the sacraments and the truth of the Catholic faith. We can have great hope that she is now experiencing the fruits of that faith, the beatific vision, along with all our ancestors that have gone before us in the sacramental life.
The end of our mortal life on earth (which is in the womb of the Catholic Church), is not the end; but rather, is our birth into eternity. To paraphrase Saint Paul, death cannot separate us. Therefore, this is not goodbye!
Thanks be to God!
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