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Category Archives: Order of Christian Funerals
Office for the Dead: Evening Prayer Responsory
A reminder that the Catholics funeral rites were discussed here years ago. This supplement focuses on particular aspects of the choice to pray the Liturgy of the Hours as a Vigil or other worship service prior to a funeral. After … Continue reading
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Office for the Dead: Evening Prayer Reading
Don’t forget our extended discussion of the funeral rites a decade ago. Also remember from our discussion of the Liturgy of the Hours: Psalms rule, and readings are usually a reflection on or a response to the psalms. In OCF … Continue reading
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Office for the Dead: Evening Prayer Psalms
As we get deeper into a look into the Office for the Dead, a reminder of our discussion of the funeral rites almost ten years ago. I would offer caution that funerals are not the time for promoting the Liturgy … Continue reading
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Office for the Dead: Reception Of The Body In Church
A few weeks ago, a commentator asked about the Office for the Dead. A discussion on this was included in our examination of the funeral rites almost ten years ago. In any parish I served, I would recommend the celebration … Continue reading
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Office for the Dead
Some days ago, a commentator asked about the Office for the Dead. We blogged extensively on the funeral rites almost ten years ago. It seems that while I devoted a number of posts to the praenotanda, or instruction from the … Continue reading
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Funeral Lectionary: 2 Corinthians 1:3-7
Corresponding with my friend John Donaghy, deacon and missionary, he shared the readings he selected for his funeral. The passage from the second Corinthian letter isn’t in the funeral lectionary, but I think it’s a good inclusion. I asked John … Continue reading
Funeral Lectionary: 2 Timothy 1:9-10
I had another recent funeral in which the family went off the page (but stayed in the Book) to find a reading that they felt was suitable for a father’s funeral. Some Catholic clergy and liturgists get the yips on … Continue reading
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Funeral Lectionary: Psalm 16: 1-2, 7-11
I had an experience with the funeral of a choir spouse recently. The family requested Psalm 16, and specifically Scott Soper’s fine setting. OCP’s editors place it in their annual missal in the Psalter. The antiphon is a bit long … Continue reading
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Human Composting
I heard this bit on a local NPR station the other day, sort of a trial balloon on human composting. Some interesting bits: The human composting … involves placing bodies in vessels where they can be covered in wood chips … Continue reading
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Funeral Lectionary: Psalm 93
Well over seven years ago, we blogged on section 347 of the Order of Christian Funerals (OCF). A whole passel of texts sit there outside the Lectionary proper, which, according to the Church, may be “chosen for use in various … Continue reading
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Funeral Lectionary: Wisdom 1:13-15; 2:23
At Mass this past weekend, the first reading stood out for me. At funerals, I think most people don’t absorb the entire passage being read. Even if it’s read well. Most often a key phrase might stick in the mind. … Continue reading
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Funeral Purple
Friend and once-contributor John Donaghy sent me two images of a stole he uses for funerals. His report from Honduras: Here most of the priests use purple, though the bishop wore white for the funeral of a priest two years … Continue reading
CDF on Cremation
A universal document for cremation up at the Vatican today. Interesting, but not surprisingly this comes from the CDF and not the liturgy office, CDWDS. Reason being, it contains important teaching (already mostly covered by the USCCB in their documentation) … Continue reading
On Tributes and Eulogies
My wife says the best EWTN programming is broadcast in the wee hours. She leans to saints and spirituality. She finds a lot of rich material there. Our cable provider doesn’t include EWTN in its package, at least on the … Continue reading
Posted in Commentary, Liturgy, Order of Christian Funerals
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Catholic Sensibility 
Top British Funeral Songs
Joe McMahon sent me this link to a UK op-ed on funeral songs. From the Daily Mail, Tom Utley reports and comments: A survey this week by Co-op Funeralcare highlights one of the most profound social changes of my lifetime. In … Continue reading →