What about your burial plans when your family is not Orthodox
Some Orthodox Christians, whose family members are either not Orthodox, or who are no longer practicing the Orthodox faith, think they should skip any funeral arrangements that would involve the Church. They figure their relatives would likely not attend a service, given the common practice of cremating the body and forgoing a formal funeral service, so why bother making plans that will mean nothing to the relatives. Yet we must remember that it doesn’t matter whether any of our relatives show up for our funeral, for ultimately the service is important for ourselves. We all need the prayers of the Church as we leave this life, so it is important that we make arrangements for an Orthodox funeral.
There is also the role cemeteries can play in our own spiritual life, as a cemetery is a clear reminder of our own mortality. I have already picked the plot where my own remains will be placed on the grounds of our monastery, and I’ve even ordered the crafting of my casket (it will have book shelves which can easily be removed when my time comes). Seeing where one will eventually be laid to rest is a good way to remember the importance of living a life of repentance, ever being prepared for the day our life comes to an end. When that day comes, we have the blessed assurance that the Church, just as she supported us during our life, will be there in support as we leave this world.
With love in Christ,
Abbot Tryphon
Photo: Father Andrew Welzig, of Christ the Saviour Orthodox Church in Spokane Valley, WA., together with his son Peter, and parishioner Shayne Swenson, spent three days in retreat at the monastery.
Friday October 16, 2015 / October 3, 2015
20th Week after Pentecost. Tone two.
Fast. Food with Oil
Hieromartyr Dionysius (Dennys) the Areopagite, and with him Martyrs Rusticus and Eleutherius (96).
New Martyr Agathangel, metropolitan of Yaroslavl (1928).
Finding of the relics (1988) of Venerable Ambrose of Optina (1911).
St. Jerome of Aegina (1966).
Venerable Dionysius, recluse of the Kiev Caves (15th c.).
Venerable John the Chozebite, bishop of Caesarea in Palestine (532).
Blessed Hesychius the Silent of Mt. Horeb (6thc.).
Hieromartyr Dionysius, archbishop of Alexandria and eight martyrs with him (257-8).
St. Leger of Autun (679) (Gaul).
Hieromartyrs Hewald the White and Hewald the Black, at Cologne.
Martyr Theoctistus (Greek).
Martyr Theagenes (Greek).
Scripture Readings
Philippians 3:8-19
8 Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith; 10 that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, 11 if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.
Pressing Toward the Goal
12 Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. 13 Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, 14 I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
15 Therefore let us, as many as are mature, have this mind; and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal even this to you. 16 Nevertheless, to the degree that we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule,[a] let us be of the same mind.
Our Citizenship in Heaven
17 Brethren, join in following my example, and note those who so walk, as you have us for a pattern. 18 For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ: 19 whose end is destruction, whose god is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame—who set their mind on earthly things.
Luke 6:17-23
Jesus Heals a Great Multitude
17 And He came down with them and stood on a level place with a crowd of His disciples and a great multitude of people from all Judea and Jerusalem, and from the seacoast of Tyre and Sidon, who came to hear Him and be healed of their diseases, 18 as well as those who were tormented with unclean spirits. And they were healed. 19 And the whole multitude sought to touch Him, for power went out from Him and healed them all.
The Beatitudes
20 Then He lifted up His eyes toward His disciples, and said:
“Blessed are you poor,
For yours is the kingdom of God.
21 Blessed are you who hunger now,
For you shall be filled.
Blessed are you who weep now,
For you shall laugh.
22 Blessed are you when men hate you,
And when they exclude you,
And revile you, and cast out your name as evil,
For the Son of Man’s sake.
23 Rejoice in that day and leap for joy!
For indeed your reward is great in heaven,
For in like manner their fathers did to the prophets.
I am glad you talked about this topic. I am also finding that people don’t want to deal with the expenses associated with a funeral; i.e. paying for a funeral director’s services, purchasing a casket, paying for the plot and its associated fees, tombstone, etc. Some people either don’t have the funds to pay for it all or they don’t want to deal with any future obligations. Thank God, my husband and I already paid for our ‘condo’ last year!
Father, you mentioned that someone is crafting your casket that will have bookshelves for easy removal. How interesting! Will you display this casket in your office? Who creates such a multi-functional item? Do they have a site to peruse?
I always thoroughly enjoy your posts. I try to read them before work, to place me in a good frame of mind throughout my day.
My bookcase/casket will likely be displayed in my office (a good conversation piece). It is being made by an Orthodox woodworker on our island. I’ll post a photo when it is finished!
Great idea.
“the day our life comes to an end” and “support as we leave this world”
I find such language to be notoriously “two storey” as Fr. Stephen indicates in his book, “Everywhere Present.”
Surely, Father, you don’t mean what these phrase indicate by their surface meaning.
The Church is filled with folks who, unfortunately, take these phrases literally and end up with a misappropriated view of what death has become as a result of the death and resurrection of Christ Jesus.
Add pillows , cushions and a lamp and you have a comfortable reading space! 😉
Haha
Dear Abbot Tryphon – At some point in the future, I would really like to see a concise list of things we should be prepared to tell the funeral home to help us have an Orthodox Christian ending to our lives on this earth. Are there special preparations or treatment of the body? How to explain the Trisagion at the Funeral Home on the day of the death?
We have plots in an Orthodox Cemetary, but it is a great distance away. So we will have to deal with that when they will want to bury us in their own cemetary.
And so it goes…
Kissing your right hand
Love in Christ
Elizabeth, the sinner
Please read A Christian Ending by Deacon J Mark Barna and listen to all his podcasts on AFR. He answers all those practical issues concerning death and burial practices.