Do to a unique situation, I have to carry the load surrounding the wake, liturgy prep, and homily at a funeral.Your prayers would be appreciated since superman I'm not. God be praised; may he console the grieving family! Thank you!
Thank you all for your prayers! I've spoken with the family (the widow is actually a good friend in the parish) and that has gone well. I have to lead prayers at the wake this afternoon and my homily is finished relative to the funeral. Now I just have to complete my homily for the weekend Masses. My Pastor knew of my closeness to the family which made his choice understandable; it felt like a bit of overload, but now I've worked through most of it.
And in our own lives ( I will mention this in my homily) as we entrust our loved ones to God at the time of death, let us not forget the marvelous expression of love for our recently deceased loved ones by having a Holy Mass offered on behalf of his or her soul. Too many times in the last few years have I helped to bury a deceased Catholic who has not had a Holy Mass offered for them. And, it is never wasteful to have a second Holy Mass offered for any deceased individual, for if the first Holy Mass fully purified them, then our Gracious God in His great Love will use the loving power of that second Holy Mass to usher into His Presence another relative not yet fully purified. The hatred of satan is such that if he has lost a soul who is still undergoing purification, then he will want to delay the completion of such purification. Let us never hesitate to wield the power of prayer and sacrifice for our deceased loved ones, especially that of a Holy Mass! Eternal life grant to them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. May their souls and the souls of all the faithful departed, through the Mercy of God, rest in peace, Amen!
Perfect! Mentioning the power of having Masses said for the deceased is a great idea as many don't realize..
