Are You Going To Die?

I know that's a silly question.  We know that the answer is yes, but we don't like the question, nor do we care for the response.  However, death is part of life; death is the gateway to the fulfillment of life in our Christian perspective.
    Death is so special that we mark the event with ceremonies.  After birth, we celebrate entrance into life with Christ and His Church through Baptism.  A baptism is a moment for great celebration both humanly and spiritually.
    The other great celebration is a Catholic funeral.  Various rites such as the wake, the funeral, and the burial all have specified rituals that magnificently mark the person's life and the person's relationship with Christ.  For a Catholic, none of these rituals should be bypassed or neglected.  The  Christian dignity of the human person must be recognized until the end and even after.  
     Unfortunately, I see so often that the children of good Catholic parents are neglecting funeral arrangements for their parents for the sake of convenience or expediency even to the point of no funeral, no wake, burials with no one present or lack of proper disposal of ashes.
     We should always make clear our funeral wishes through pre-arrangement with a funeral director and/or written directives given to the funeral director and a trusted family member.  
     To assist with those arrangements, I will be offering a session on how to prepare your Catholic funeral.  The same program will be given twice: once at St. Anthony's and once at St. Patrick's.  This presentation will highlight the elements of a Catholic funeral and give you the tools and details that you need to prepare your funeral in its entirety.  Don't leave this important event for someone else to arrange.  This program is open to all.  So, please feel free to invite others to come with you.
     The sessions will be:

Tuesday, October 13, St. Patrick's Chapel at 4 pm
Tuesday, October 27, Msgr. Secchi Hall at 6:30 pm