![]() ![]() Since 1963, the Catholic Church has permitted the practice of cremation - although the church's preference is still for burying the body, since this expresses more clearly the Christian belief in the resurrection of the body. So my question is this: Do you have to show proof of a burial spot to have a funeral Mass celebrated? (Bettendorf, Iowa)Ī. When they said that they didn't have one, they were informed that there would not be a funeral Mass. The family called the church, and the pastor asked where the burial plot was located. I have a friend whose father-in-law died recently. We believe in eternal life, but that doesn't stop our tears. When someone we love dies, our faith promises the joy of reunion yet, even so, we feel deeply the sting of loss. The mystery of that duality will only lift fully when we, one day, rest in God's house but meanwhile it may help to think that, right now, we ourselves struggle to balance those twin feelings. Jesus was truly grieving over Lazarus' passing and the pain it was causing Martha and Mary, but just as surely he knew that the situation would serve ultimately to glorify God. And so, the answer to both of our letter writer's questions is "Yes." When Martha and Mary sent word to Jesus of the impending crisis, their message had been, "Master, the one you love is ill."Ĭlearly, Jesus knew in advance what he was going to do, for he told them, "This illness is not to end in death, but is for the glory of God." But his awareness of that eventual outcome did not relieve Christ's human sorrow, and this is the mystery of his dual nature. Pope Leo the Great, reflecting on this same passage, is thought to have said: "In his humanity Jesus wept for Lazarus in his divinity he raised him from the dead." Jesus felt deeply the pain of Lazarus' death. Jesus had two natures: He was truly human and truly divine, and both natures were at work in the matter of Lazarus. That short and simple verse from the Gospel reflects a complex truth, a truth that prompts your excellent question and makes the answer difficult. But reflecting further on that passage, I'm wondering just why Jesus wept.ĭo you think it was because Jesus was actually grieving over the death of his friend? Or do you think that he wept tears of joy, knowing that Lazarus was not suffering from his illness anymore, that Lazarus was perhaps getting a taste of heaven and that Christ was going to use the occasion to show forth the power of God? (Waipahu, Hawaii)Ī. I have always been attracted to the verse in John's Gospel (11:35) that says that, learning of the death of Lazarus, "Jesus wept." It shows, I think, how much Christ loved Lazarus and all of humanity. Throughout this Day: Ask yourself what some of the difficult things you are facing today are.Q. Help us to keep our eyes on you and trust you in the less than happy times. And that you still weep with your children who are hurting. But through Jesus, we can have joy, which will help us deal with the sorrow.ĭear Jesus, Thank you. No, the Christian life is not all about being happy. But he also experienced joy, the joy of setting us free from sin and being united with us forever. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” Hebrews 12:2 gives us more insight on the sorrow of Jesus and how he dealt with it: “fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. Just knowing that Jesus did that, that he cared enough to cry, can make our own sorrow more bearable. But he chose to partake of the pain of human sorrow. After all, he knew that Lazarus was going to be raised from the dead. He could have completely risen above human emotion. Jesus was crying because his friend Lazarus had died, and because Lazarus’ sisters and other friends were grieving. ![]() The first thing it teaches us is that Jesus cared about people. The shortest verse in the Bible teaches us a lot about Jesus, and a lot about emotion. But the fact that Jesus experienced great sorrow is a truth I believe we can all learn from. ![]() Does that mean he didn’t? No, in fact one of my favorite songs about Jesus is about him laughing. One of the ironic things about this, is when I look at scripture, there are absolutely no references to Jesus smiling or laughing. From a song about a clock face to a song about letting the sunshine in, the meaning is clear: good children are always happy. Now about that last statement, no one actually comes out and says it, but Christian children’s songs are filled with such messages. Two things that I learned stand in stark contrast to each other: the shortest verse in the Bible is “Jesus wept,” and if you want to be a good girl and please Jesus you will always be happy. As children we learn many things, some by purposeful teaching and some by accident. ![]()
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