Another funeral.
I went to another funeral yesterday. It was a Catholic one and people were saying ‘amen’ and ‘thanks be to God’ a lot. I wasn’t sure whether I was supposed to say that stuff as well, so I sort of mumbled it quietly. Then someone I know showed up and he didn’t say the stuff so I didn’t say it either. At the end people were kneeling and I can only imagine how badly it could have gone wrong if I’d tried to do that, so lucky hey.
Plus, this time the person wasn’t young so there was less crying.
4 Comments »
RSS feed for comments on this post.
I’ve only gone to a couple catholic funerals. I never know what to say or do, so I just stand there. The transubstantiation stuff seems really out of place to me. I guess I’m just used to funerals being a bit more informal.
Comment by Julia — Monday July 21 2008 @ 11:59 am
Transubstantiation seems odd at any time. Not to mention unsanitary. Another thing that struck me as out of place was all the talk about how we live on in heaven after we die. I understand that people believe in that stuff, and even nonbelievers tend to give it a go at funerals, but to me it just sounds inappropriate. Like trying to pretend that nothing really bad happened.
Comment by Mark — Monday July 21 2008 @ 4:00 pm
You can’t tell people all about this life-after-death stuff and then get to the funeral and go, ‘nah, sorry guys, dead is dead.’ You kinda have to keep it going - and then some.
Comment by nailpolishblues — Monday July 21 2008 @ 9:03 pm
I’m not saying that they should flat out deny it, just that they should stay away from the whole issue. It’s like saying “hey, no one ever really dies, so why are you crying? Nothing really bad has happened.”
Maybe it’s less grating if you actually believe what’s being said, but I for one find it inappropriate. Besides, even if the Catholics are right, I’m going to hell, so I won’t be there at the post-armageddon reunion. Therefore, whatever theology holds, I have a legitimate right to be annoyed.
Comment by Mark — Monday July 21 2008 @ 9:22 pm