The comfort of rituals

I woke early enough this morning to catch the last 30-40 minutes of the pope's funeral, and one thing that made an impression was the comforting feeling of the rituals at this funeral mass. We Catholics have lots of rituals, sometimes making it more difficult, in my opinion, for people of other faiths or denominations to understand us. But for those of us 'on the inside,' these rituals are full of meaning and they help us, both as individuals and as community, express our devotion, hope, love, and respect. And because these rituals are repeated over and over, they bring a sense of stability and comfort.

Sometimes we disagree on rituals, and sometimes the disagreement gets pretty intense. A year or two ago there were some changes, or reinforcements in some peoples' opinions, in the rituals used at mass. I learned that any time a priest or bishop changes how we 'do' mass, some will rejoice and some will complain. And the neat thing is, even when the church makes some changes like this, there are often exceptions, loopholes, cultural adaptations, and grandfathered practices. I think sometimes pastors and parishes simply ignore certain changes - seeing them more as recommendations than hard and fast rules. Personally, I think that's fine. There is great diversity in God's creation and we are a reflection of that; I think God smiles on diversity.

But anyway, I find great comfort in my church's rituals. If you have questions on Catholic rituals, please feel free to ask - I'll see if I can answer them. And if I don't have the answer, there are a lot of other Catholics visiting my blog (who are much smarter about this than I am) who might be able to help out.

Comments

[Susan]

If there's one thing we Catholics know how to do, it's ritual. Even the President
was moved by it apparently … "I knew the ceremony today would be majestic but I didn't realize how moved I would be by the service itself," the president said.

I wonder how many non-Catholics realize that while the Pope's funeral has a bit more "majesty" thrown good measure, the ritual is always the same. And for a reason. My own Mom passed away a year and a half ago. I've been to 3 Catholic funeral masses since, one for my friend's 6 month old baby who died in a tragic accidental fall down the stairs. For me, the ritual of the Catholic funeral helps me move from the "how could this happen" or "how will I go on" to the joyful realization that our loved one is now with God. I still remember the felling when the congregation sang the Song of Farewell for my mom … "may the choirs of angels, come to greet you, may they speed you to paradise." I'm almost to tears just thinking about it!

Seeing as the JPII's funeral was on at 1am PST, I haven't watched it yet. Hopefully I sucessfully managed to program the VCR. We'll see…

[Sylvia]

I felt comforted in a different way. Despite all I have been learning lately about the, shall we say, less-than-Christian aspects of the Vatican, when I was watching the funeral, even with Ratzinger presiding, I felt as strongly as ever that I love my Church. There is something much bigger and better than mere humans in the Church. Indeed I wonder if it is even possible for us (or anyone) to ruin it (cf. today's lectionary reading: "if [this undertaking] is of God, you will not be able to overthrow [the apostles]").

[Roz Cawley]

I think we ALL need, and formulate, rituals, not just those of religious faith. I am of no such faith, but I have been deeply moved by the whole process of the Pope's dying and mourning, culminating in the impressive ritual of his funeral today. I can understand how it must give you a sense of "belonging". I felt the great sense of history, and yes, as your other comments mention, the skill and competance of your Catholic ritual.
I offer you heartfelt thoughts at the departure of your Holy Father.

[Bebby]

We all must come to learn, be it in time or now in the present that when something is lost something shall be gained. We may not know of it but it does happen. Using you comment of losing the pope. It helps the weak to become strong and the already strong to support the weak. It brings us closer and helps us in our struggle for understanding and learning. It gives us compfort and closure.