“Don’t stand too close,” warned my Jewish friend when I told him I was doing a graveside service at the local cemetery. “You might fall in.”
His concern was heartfelt. And a fitting reminder that we should not take life for granted. God has work for us to do in this life to carelessly shorten it through an avoidable accident.
I thanked him for his concern saying I would keep a safe distance, but from my reading and conversation with funeral directors I knew that the risk is real for minister and pall bearer alike. One that can certainly add to the sense of disquiet, anxiety or fear that many may experience when attending a burial.
Death is a reality for everyone. Even for deacons. In just the last few months I have lost three hugely significant people in my life -- a brother, a favorite priest friend/mentor and my best friend from college. And that’s not counting several other associates, parishioners and members of the diaconate community.
I can safely say that I identify with the words of the late rock musician, Jim Morrison, “No one here gets out alive.”
Death robs us of our future, our plans and perhaps our hopes and dreams. It is the great equalizer in that it doesn’t discriminate between the rich or the poor, men or women, young or old. And though the world tries to disguise this truth with advertising for wrinkle removers, face lifts and gym equipment to keep us looking young-er, in the end, even organ transplants cannot sustain us from our appointment with eternity.
It would seem obvious that the best course of action is to come to terms with it now rather than wait for it to disrupt our lives and perhaps shake our faith in God.
As followers of Jesus Christ, we should not fear death. In his Passion, death and burial our Lord experienced death firsthand and after three days in the tomb he resurrected, thus fulfilling his promise to take death captive. Jesus appeared to his disciples and invited them to place their faith and trust in Him so that they would be with Him in heaven forever.
This is what we should desire and strive for as well: Eternal life with God and in the company of our loved ones.
Writing to the Corinthians, St. Paul expressed his desire to be with the Lord but accepted that his time had not yet come. He was still needed as a worker in the Lord’s vineyard, bearing witness to the gospel and encouraging others to strengthen their relationship with God the Father through the acceptance of his Son, Jesus Christ.
As Pilgrims of Hope, we are invited to comfort the mourning and weeping. Let us be fearless witnesses to the Resurrection of Jesus Christ wherever we go. In sickness and in health. And, yes, even in death.
Let us, therefore, heed the friendly advice I was given -- look where we are stepping and don’t be in so great of a hurry that we get ahead of ourselves and take a fall…
Rather, allow Jesus to lead and we can follow in his footsteps all the way to eternal life.
John De Gano is a deacon at St. Catherine of Alexandria parish in Riverside.