Tag Archive for 'catholic'

Christian Funeral Customs And Traditions

Published
by
Hannah Chen
on March 11, 2010
in self improvement
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A funeral can either be a family or a State ceremony, and it is conducted in the memory of the deceased person. It involves a series of rites and rituals that vary in accordance with the deceased’s culture and belief system.

Usually at the Christian funerals, the ceremonies can be classified under three broad heads - visitation, funeral and lastly, the burial. The first two parts, which are the most essential ones as far as ritualistic aspects are concerned, are discussed here.

The first part is the visitation, when the body is laid in a casket for general viewing by relatives and other people in the gathering. The body is usually adorned with the best clothes and jewels belonging to the dead person. Some cultures follow the rite of embalming the body, though not all cultures should compulsorily do it.

At the visitation, a family may also exhibit pictures taken of the deceased during his or her lifetime, or some precious items that were very dear to the deceased. Some families also run a slide show or video of the departed.

The visitation is followed by the second part of rituals, the memorial service, also known as funeral, and it is conducted in a church. The coffin is then brought to the church in a hearse and the friends and relatives of the departed follow the hearse. Then the casket is brought with its floral arrangement and housed in the church.

Funeral services normally include chants and recitals from the Holy Scriptures and the Bible. Religious songs are also sung by the mourners in chorus. Then the presiding priest gives a speech, which is then followed by tributes given by the family and relatives of the departed who reflect upon the life, achievements and good nature of the deceased. Sometimes, mourners are allowed to see the deceased for the last time before the burial takes place. The service might be preceded and followed by gonging of church bells.

Once these ceremonies are over, the deceased is taken in a funeral procession for burial, which marks the end of the funeral ceremony.

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The Different Aspects Of Funeral Services

Published
by
Aris Ford
on March 11, 2010
in self improvement
. 0 Comments

Death is an inescapable reality that all of us have to face but organizing the funeral of a loved one can still be an unnerving experience. However, you have to admit the loss that you have met with and be prepared for making appropriate funeral service arrangements to remember the deceased. Almost all funeral homes offer their professional services related to making preparations for the funeral and they can offer you adequate help, but you must remember a few things.

The deceased person’s life and beliefs are reflected in the funeral and therefore, it is necessary to organize it properly. Most of the funeral services follow a set pattern, though they are flexible enough to incorporate any cultural preferences that the deceased may have had or his family members believe in.

The first stage is the visitation, which can happen for a few hours or could stretch for a few days. Here, the deceased is fondly remembered by his family and acquaintances. This is succeeded by the formal funeral service, which may be held in the chapel of the mortuary, or any church that you choose, or even at any other site which was special to the deceased. You will also have to book a funeral coach or hearse to carry the body, if the funeral is taking place outdoors.

After this service, the family and acquaintances go to participate in the graveyard service at the chosen cemetery. This can be handled by the clergy or any close relative of the deceased, depending on the family’s preference. You will need to consider many aspects, including who will be leading the service, the type of flowers you want, and if you want an image or any other items owned by the deceased to be displayed.

The final part of the proceedings is the burial of the body in a location, which is generally based on the type of burial tradition that the family has. The dead person can be buried in plots owned by the family or in mausoleums, or be cremated after which their ashes can be spread where they had desired.

Find out more about the best company that provides high quality casket and best Christian funeral needs. This and other unique content ‘funeral’ articles are available with free reprint rights.

Qualifications And Attributes Needed To Become An Undertaker

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Joseph Lee
on February 12, 2010
in self improvement
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Undertakers’ or funeral directors’ job is to make preparations for funeral ceremonies and other associated needs and responsibilities. Some of the essential skills and abilities that are required by people who are in this job are listed below.

As he may be needed at any time of the day, an undertaker should be ready to work at odd hours also. He must be prepared to work away from his workplace as the job requires him to be available at the place where he is needed.

To be an undertaker, a person must be able to interact well and should accommodate the viewpoints of others. He should be able to manage and interact with people of different age groups and people having different religious and ethnic backgrounds. A sensitive and compassionate attitude will be a great help in this job. But he will have to offer support to the grieving family and must stay strong and mentally detached so that he can perform his functions well.

As an undertaker, a person should project a dignified and serene personality, while seeing that his behaviour doesn’t heighten the sorrow of the bereaved family members and friends.

Undertakers must have extensive knowledge and deep respect for the religious beliefs and sentiments of different cultures and ethnic groups. They must also be aware of the funeral rites and burial customs of various sects.

An undertaker must have good managerial and organizational skills. Making preparations for critical services like flowers, ceremonies etc will entail coordination with many providers and will require leadership and guidance skills.

Legalities and other official formalities to be followed in case of a death must be familiar to the undertaker who will have to get the requisite approvals etc for the funeral proceedings and other related matters. He will have to be fully aware of procedures to be followed for the purpose of collecting death certificates or claims for insurance.

Lastly, an undertaker should know how to drive and should possess an appropriate driving license, as he may be required to drive vehicles to transport the deceased.

Find out more about the best company that provides high quality casket and best funeral services. This and other unique content ‘catholic’ articles are available with free reprint rights.

Funeral Traditions And Rituals

Published
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Larry James
on January 13, 2010
in self improvement
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There are many rituals and traditions that govern funerals across the world. Funeral provides an opportunity to the family of the deceased to pray for his soul and come to terms with their loss and sorrow.

Christian funerals are performed according to the Church rules. However, considering the fact that there are over 200 denominations of Christian communities, the rituals can change depending on the affiliation of the family.

The first significant ritual in a Christian funeral is the wake, which is held before the actual funeral service and where the dead is watched the entire night and psalms are recited to pray for the departed soul. As per the present day rituals, this is when the relatives and acquaintances pay a last visit to the deceased and offer their final respects. The body is either laid at the house or at Church and the duration of paying visit is fixed according to prescribed norms. In olden days, the deceased used to be absolved of his sins of his earthly existence by performing the ritual of absolution after wake. This involved placing a cross on the departed’s body and offertory in the casket, where gifts offered were kept.

Then comes the real service itself, where the dead is first carried to the Church in a vehicle and prayers from the Holy Bible are recited and hymns are sung in the church. Then, the clergy requests a dear friend or family member to give a public eulogy in honour of the deceased. Some Christian communities have tolling of the bells as an integral part of the proceedings that signifies the end of ceremony. Then the casket with the dead person in it is transported to the burial place for the last set of rituals, known as the burial service which is performed before the dead is buried.

Finally, the funeral’s completion is marked by a mourners’ lunch organised for the family members and those present at the funeral service. The primary objective of such customs is to provide support to the grieving family and help them overcome their grief and resign themselves to the fate.

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The Holy Spirit: Questions To Ponder About

Published
by
Paul Peter
on July 16, 2009
in self improvement
. 0 Comments
by Paul Peter

Many believe they know who and what the Holy Spirit is. Let’s explore that thought. Is the belief based on personal experience or is it based on church doctrine? Is the Holy Spirit even explainable or can we only be lead to our own personal experience with God? We are told the Holy Spirit is a counselor and a guide. How do we hear our guidance? These important questions remain unanswered for many ‘believers’.

Nobody can really define the Holy Spirit in terms we can all understand. The reason for that is because each of our experiences gets filtered and interpreted through our ego mind. What needs to happen in order to communicate a fuller understanding of the Holy Spirit is for people who believe they are already receiving guidance from the Holy Spirit to gather and exchange their experiences with each other. Although not everyone has the same name when referring to their spiritual guidance everyone agrees that the guidance of the Holy Spirit comes from within.

I’ve heard people who refer to the Holy Spirit as their higher self and others believe that the Holy Spirit is what a guardian angel is. The belief in higher self is the idea that we eventually become an ascended master who then transcends time and space. Maybe the Holy Spirit and Guardian angels are 2 different kinds of beings altogether. Still others believe the Holy Spirit is another name for our Creator God who is everywhere.

What does the Holy Spirit do to guide us?

Why does the creator have a Holy Spirit for us to be guided by?

How do we connect with spirit?

When is the Holy Spirit going to guide the world into everlasting peace?

None of us can say that we have fully received the answers to these questions in our lives. If enough of us share what we understand about the Holy Spirit perhaps we will reach a fuller understanding as a group. Not everyone calls their spiritual guidance the Holy Spirit but everyone that feels lead by the spirit agrees that the Holy Spirit is a spirit which guides us from within. Its up to us to be open to the gift of guidance that we have all been given.

About the Author:
May you be blessed for reading my article about the Holy Spirit. It is our hope to gather the presence of 2 or more people who desire to understand more about the Holy Spirit. Here you’ll discover more people writing about the Holy Spirit on my blog site calledHolySpiritGuide.com which was created to gather kindred spirits who are on a journey towards true enlightenment.
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