Burying the Dead

St. Peter's Cemetery in Lewiston

“And so, when you and your daughter-in-law Sarah prayed, I brought a reminder of your prayer before the Holy One; and when you buried the dead, I was likewise present with you” (Tb 12:12).

In burying the dead, the innate dignity of the human person, soul and body, is recognized and honored. In the Book of Genesis, we learn that we were formed in the image of God. In the Gospel, we learn that, in Jesus’ resurrection from the dead, we are promised eternal life. In our faith, then, we find our hope that we will rise with the Lord Jesus on the last day. By interring the remains of the dead, we honor them, professing our faith that they are alive in Jesus Christ. Below are some suggestions for you to consider:

  • Offer daily prayers for the deceased and those with terminal illnesses.
     
  • Send Mass cards to families of those who have died.
     
  • Reach out to someone who has recently lost a loved one.
     
  • Offer to take a family member or friend to visit a loved one’s gravesite.
     
  • Make sure your family knows your end-of-life wishes in case, through an accident or illness, you are unable to speak for yourself.
     
  • If your parish offers a funeral or bereavement ministry, consider supporting it either through volunteering, cooking, or contributing financially.

Stories of Service from our diocese

Scripture

“By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread, till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for you are dust, and to dust you shall return” (Genesis 3:19).

"Do not be amazed at this, because the hour is coming in which all who are in the tombs will hear his voice and will come out, those who have done good deeds to the resurrection of life, but those who have done wicked deeds to the resurrection of condemnation" (John 5: 28-29).

Bishop Robert Deeley

"In the burial of all our deceased, we show sacred respect for those who have gone before us in death and commend them to God. In the hope that Jesus gives us, we believe that those who are buried live with the Lord. This is our faith. We believe in the resurrection from the dead. And we believe that our prayer can assist those who have died in their journey to live forever with the Lord. In that faith, which we celebrate in the Eucharist when Jesus himself comes to us in our prayer, we ask our loving Father to raise up in joy all those who have died and whose memory we carry with us in love. We pray in love for eternal peace for all those we have entrusted to the Lord."

Other Corporal Works of Mercy