While the death of a loved one causes grief and loss for us, the living, it is also the beginning of deeper communication and spiritual growth as we thank God, "who gave us the victory through our Lord, Jesus Christ"
1 Corinthians 15:57
The death of a member of the Church needs to be communicated immediately to the Church. The funeral rites are conducted, when possible, in the church. The casket, if any, is closed before the service. The casket remains closed with a pall or other suitable covering to symbolize the equality of all before God. We insist on a closed casket because our purpose is to bury the mortal remains (or cremated remains), not the person, in the grave and the dust from which we all come. The pall is to be placed over the casket and removed from the casket by a member of the Altar Guild.
A Priest normally presides at the service. Readings from the Old Testament and the Epistles are read by a member of the congregation and, if desired, Holy Eucharist is celebrated. After Eucharist and Commendation of the Body (or cremated remains) to God, the remains are committed to the grave. The church and graveside services may be separated by some time, as occasionally people choose a traditional funeral but then cremate the body.
Our funeral rites are, in fact, an Easter liturgy. While we grieve, we celebrate the resurrection Jesus bought for us in His Passion.
Easter hymns are often chosen for music and the white of our hangings reflects the joy of "the resurrection of the dead and the life in the world to come."(The Apostles Creed, Nicene Creed). The coffin, flowers and tombstone should be simple. Donations to a suggested charity are preferred to flowers.
Pictured above:
The Death of the Virgin
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