Sections 207 through 210 give an overview of the Committal rite. Let’s take the first two:
207. Both forms of the committal rite begin with an invitation, Scripture verse, and a prayer over the place of committal. The several alternatives for the prayer over the place of committal take into account whether the grave, tomb, or resting place has already been blessed and situations in which the final disposition of the body will actually take place at a later time (for example, when the body is to be cremated or will remain in the cemetery chapel until burial at a later time.
208. The rite of committal continues with the words of committal, the intercessions, and the Lord’s Prayer.
The rite of committal with final commendation continues with an invitation to prayer, a pause for silent prayer, the sprinkling and incensing of the body, where this is customary, the song of farewell, and the prayer of commendation (see OCF 227-231).
For music ministers, note that if the final commendation is part of the committal, your leadership for music would be expected on the song of farewell. We’ll read later in the instructions (OCF 214, 223, 233) that music remains a hoped-for ministry for the liturgy at cemetery or crematorium.
Note that for the second form, the one in which the Final Commendation is included, that it’s not just a matter of inserting the Commendation rituals and texts in at the beginning, as if the funeral liturgy’s not yet complete. The Final Commendation takes place toward the end, just before the act of Committal.
