Beloved Sister Death

 

 

Beloved Sister Death

Fr. Tony’s Mid-week Message

October 15, 2014 

 

 Fr. Tony is on retreat at the annual conference of his religious order, the Society of Catholic Priests (of the Episcopal Church and Anglican Church of Canada).  He sends a reposting of a message from this time of year from a couple of years ago

We started the month with the Feast of St. Francis, and the Blessing of the Animals.  St. Francis’ Day brings to mind for most of us the hymn “All creatures of our God and King.”  It is based on the great Tuscan language poem praising God for all God’s creatures written by Francis in the last year of his life. 

I have had the great blessing in the last two weeks of being able to give last rites to two parishioners, and of simply being with their families and friends.  Death of a loved one is hard, not least because it reminds us that each and every one of us will one day die.    The month will end with the fall Triduum of All Hallows’ Eve, All Saints’ Day, and All Souls, which each in their own way talk about death. 

Just before his death, St. Francis added a final verse to his great hymn of praise.  In it, he sees death not as an enemy to be feared and overcome, or an aberration ruining God’s creation, but rather as a fellow creature of God, made by God for his own mysterious purposes: 

“Praised be You, my Lord, through our Sister, Bodily Death,

From whom no one living can escape.

Woe to those who die in mortal sin!

But blessed are those whom death will find in Your most holy will,

For the second death shall do them no harm.

Praise and bless my Lord and give him thanks,

And serve Him with great humility.” 

In the metrical translation we usually sing as “All Creatures of our God and King,” the verse reads thus:

And even you, most gentle death,

Waiting to hush our final breath

O praise Him, Alleluia!

You lead back home the child of God,

For Christ our Lord that way has trod,

O Praise Him! Alleluia!

The Prayer Book’s rites for what we normally call a funeral clearly identify it as a celebration of the resurrection, based in our faith in the Risen Lord.  While death is painful, and a time of sorrow and grief at separation for us the living, it is part and parcel of the life cycle God made when he created us.  Though we must not seek it out, or minimize its mystery and the fear it inspires, in a very real way, Death is our beloved brother or sister creature. 

Grace and Peace,

Fr. Tony+