Saint Mary of the Immaculate Conception Roman Catholic Church

Dear Folks,

I have recently had the occasion to have some deep conversations with folks about the purpose of funerals. And I have been impressed by the answers that have arisen. What does the Church propose as the real purpose?

First: Yes, it is obvious, but the purpose of a funeral perspective is to give sacred context and meaning to the most basic of works of mercy: burying the dead. It is a  event filled with pain and grief, but with expectant hope in the resurrection. In the words of Psalm 126, “Those who sow in tears will reap with cries of joy.”

Second: Praying for the Dead. Listen to the prayers of the funeral liturgy. They are all directed to this purpose. If we fail to pray for the soul of the faithful departed,  then we have failed as badly as if we don’t accomplish the first purpose. It is a sin of omission to fail to do for the deceased what we can truly accomplish for them with our prayers. Hence you will never find me claiming to be the Pope and pronouncing someone to be in heaven.

Third: Consoling the living. Yes a legitimate purpose. But not the only, and not the primary purpose. In fact, in the funeral liturgy it takes a distant third place in terms of attention given to this explicitly. Our consolation comes from union with Christ, and finding strength in his redemptive mission and message. Thus I’d like to exhort and remind you of the importance of praying for our friends and relatives who have passed away. The whole month of November takes on a aspect of this character from the beginning feasts of All Saints and All Souls. In the church we have set up a book for you to write down the names of your deceased friends and family. This book will be here for the entire month of November, so that we can keep before our minds this great work of praying for the souls of the deceased. I will often stop and check the book and say a prayer for the repose of these souls. At the end of the month, a Mass will be offered for all of them as well.

Praying for the dead is one of the most basic acts of charity that we can possibly do. Often when we miss somebody, we grieve for them, and we feel sharply the pain of their loss. But that pain can have a purpose in God’s salvific plan. When we give it back to Jesus, offering it up to Him for the benefit of our loved ones, then it becomes meritorious. It becomes for us a share in Christ’s own sufferings, and hence is able to assist those whom we love by our freely embracing this cross. Jesus said that the greatest act of love is to “lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” Indeed we do this when we pray for the repose of the souls of those who have passed away, and for the consolation of those who love them.

Pax,

Fr. Mosimann

Dear Folks,

There is an election? Who knew? …and yes that is sarcasm with a smile. Voting is a serious civic duty. This duty requires we have well formed consciences on the social and political issues of the day. To that end, we are making available a number or resources in the bulletin beginning with a letter from our Bishop. Additionally, we are rerunning the novena prayer that we began praying last week. Also the Virginia Catholic Conference is the public policy advocacy organization representing Virginia’s two Catholic Bishops. The VCC website has a wealth of information which can help you be informed. Finally, we remind you of Bishop Loverde’s series on “Forming your Conscience” which can be found online at CatholicHerald.com. May the Lord have mercy on our beloved country.

CELIAC? GLUTEN TOLERANCE ISSUES?

Folks, I am interested in knowing how manyfolks we have in the parish whose bodies are gluten intolerant and therefore unable to consume a eucharistic host. While  transubstantiated host is no longer bread, but the Body of Christ, it still retains the chemical properties of bread and therefore gluten. I recently spoke with a family  whose sensitivity is so significant that they can’t even consume the ‘low-gluten’ hosts because of the possible ‘contamination’ of crumbs from the hands of the priest who have immediately prior handled full-gluten hosts. Similarly, some are unable to consume from a chalice after someone who has consumed a host for the same  reason. Even the smallest of crumbs can cause serious physical distress.

If you are affected by this, would you please email me (frmosimann@stmaryfred. org)? That would be of great assistance so that I might discuss with the priests how we can accommodate your needs and then communicate to you the decided upon process.

Pax,

Fr. Mosimann