Every celebration has a spirit that goes with it. The spirit of the celebration is the essence of the celebration. Irrespective of the accidents that might be brought into a celebration, the substance of the celebration remains.
A birthday celebration is not a funeral celebration, as a funeral celebration is not a birthday celebration. Amidst the existential religious and cultural differences regarding funeral celebrations, a funeral ceremony remains a funeral ceremony.
Whether the corpse is kept in a golden or a wooden coffin, the casket will be lowered into the grave and closed up. The number and caliber of attendees, the quality and quantity of food and drink, the quality, styles, and duration of entertainment, the amount of money sprayed and spent, etc., will not change the name of the ceremony from A to B.
After all said and done, a funeral ceremony often ends with the burial of the deceased, and it leaves us with the simple message, “life on earth is transitory” (a passing phase).
The important question before us remains that of life after death. Where will eternity be spent? We must not get it twisted, whether rich or poor burial, our humble prayer should be that the soul of the departed may find rest in God; while all and sundry get prepared by living in the love of God and neighbour, for no one knows the date nor the hour.
Love.
© Fr. Augustin Abiagom, CM
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PS: Have you prayed your Rosary today?
Truly the spirit of a celebration is the essence of it not the physical aspects that most people tend to dwell on.