Monday, February 26, 2018

The End of the Journey from our Earthen Life into Transfiguration (2-20-18)

Here was the first talk I offered to a group of parishioners.  During this Lent, I will be speaking about some different thoughts and conversations.  I hope you enjoy these notes below, and the recorded talk here.

Notes:

Talk and Conversation
“The End of the Journey from our Earthen Life into Transfiguration”
2-20-18

1.)   Prayer
2.)   Our ordinary sacraments and God’s extraordinary ways
·      Baptism
                       o   Anyone could Baptize someone in an emergency situation
                       o   Water and the words “I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit”
                       o   Nurses, Jewish, Muslim
                       o   If they do what the dying person believes
·      Confession
                       o   Priest
                       o   “General Absolution”
·      Extreme situations: danger of death threatens, not enough priests
·      Example: Airplane crashing
·      Eucharist
                       o   Bishop or Priest (with faculties) for
                       o   Traditionally only Bishop, Priest or Deacon could offer communion
·      Today Eucharistic of Ministry—laity
·      Confirmation
                       o   Bishop or Priest
·      Marriage
                       o   Bishop, Priest or Deacon
·      Ordination
                       o   Bishop
·      Anointing of the Sick
                       o   Bishop or Priest
3.)   Path towards the end of our earthly time
·      “Best Situation”
                       o   Anointing of the Sick
                       o   Confession
                       o   Eucharist
                       o   We used to call this sacrament “Extreme Unction” or “Last Rites”
·      Many people call the priest when they are almost dying
·      But today we say, “Anointing of the Sick”
o   Interesting spectrum we learned in seminary
o   One extreme is when we do not need Anointing of the Sick if we are healthy…or if we have a could
o   On the other extreme, we cannot offer this sacrament if someone has already die
o   Some where in the middle
                                                                                                           Elderly that are sick
                                                                                                           Big surgeries
·      Dying
                       o   Anointing of the Sick
                       o   Apostolic Pardon
                       o   Eucharist: Viaticum
·      Prayers
·      Tell your children, your family and your Pastor
4.)   Funerals
·      Challenges in our culture
                       o   Wrong order
·      I have had several parishioners that did not receive a Funeral Mass
·      Why?  Their family had a different decision
                       o   Cremation Society
·      Money
·      Quick fix
o   People scared of death and when someone else dies, they go make it as fast as possible
                       o   Funeral Homes
                       o   Other buildings
                       o   Or nothing
·      Best situation:
                       o   Please, have a will. 
·      Have your information for several people in your family, with your doctor, with your “Guardianship” or other names for health, finances, etc.
·      Prepare your funeral when you can make your decisions
·      You, your kids, your will or your parish can record this information
                       o   Preparation with the parish: Pastor, Deacon, Suitable laity
                       o   Tradition
·      Vigil the evening before
o   Visitors
o   Prayer
o   Rosary
o   (I just heard about Fr. William Baer’s with Adoration all night…I would like that!)
·      Funeral with a Mass
·      Coffin, not an urn
o   Holdingford
o   Where will people know where your corpse is?
o   The Church has said that a cremation is ?
·      No eulogy is in our rite
·      Burial right after the Mass
o   Where will your body be buried?
                                                                                                           Put that in your will!
o   (I know that I want to be buried in the Calvary Cemetery in Duluth, in the “Circle of Priests”)
·      Lunch after
·      Last important decisions
                       o   Please call the Pastor first—put that in your will, and your family
·      Talk to the Pastor about the date (several times I have been the last person to know what the date “is”—as I might be out of town
·      In IFalls, do the best to talk with Leif
                       o   Order for a funeral
·      Funeral service: Bishop, Pastor, Assistant Priest, Deacon (as they can lead a funeral service), and, if needed in an emergency situation, a laity member
                       o   Music
·      Worship hymns in the Church—that’s where Jesus lives, not in a concert auditorium
·      Even there, don’t have a concert, but worshiping hymns
5.)   Questions and discussion
·      Next week?

6.)   Closing Prayer 



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