The death of a loved one is always an event that moves us. We as Catholics should not see it as an end, but as a new beginning: it is the beginning of eternal life for our loved one. Therefore, we must prepare his soul for the encounter with our Lord. Thus, our relative must receive the sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick, and if circumstances allow, this can be preceded by the sacrament of Penance and followed by the sacrament of the Eucharist (CCC 1517).
After death, as human beings, we have a great need to say goodbye to our loved ones and entrust them to God. The rites of the Church reflect that need. A Catholic funeral is made up of three parts: the vigil, the funeral mass and the burial.
The vigil usually takes place the night before the funeral. Family and friends gather to accompany the body of the deceased. In addition to the solemn liturgical rites of the Church, the vigil is an opportunity to pray the holy rosary and honor the memory of the deceased. The vigil can be held at a funeral home, at the family home, or at the church.
The celebration of the funeral mass is in the Church, where the celebration of the Eucharist reveals the presence of the passion, death and resurrection of Christ. Just as he or she was received in Christ through baptism and nourished with the sacraments. It is now that the body of the deceased is brought into the Church for the last time, as the Church prays for the gift of eternal life.
As Catholics we believe that the body is sacred. For this reason, during the Rite of Burial, in a sacred place, the Church entrusts the body of the deceased to the earth, so that it can be kept until the day of the resurrection.
If for legitimate reasons the cremation of the body is chosen, the ashes of the deceased must be kept in a sacred place, that is, in the cemetery or, if applicable, in a church or in an area specially dedicated for this purpose by the competent ecclesiastical authority. (Ad resurgendum cum Christo 5)
After the burial, of the body or the ashes, it is meritorious to celebrate masses of honor for our deceased and thus collaborate with their purification and sanctification.
Let us give our deceased the respect they deserve as children of God, let us ensure that they receive viaticum before they die and let us ensure that their remains rest in peace in a sacred place.