Is It Ok To Mourn?
Eternal Rest: The Art of Dying Well
•
1m 22s
Absolutely. It’s okay to mourn the loss of a good thing. The sorrow we experience after losing someone dear to us shows how much we loved that person.
It is acceptable and healthy for Christians to mourn when a loved one dies. Grief is a normal, very human reaction to loss, and it reminds us how deeply we loved the person who passed from this life to the next. Jesus wept after Lazarus died, though he knew he would soon raise Lazarus from the grave. The Blessed Virgin Mary—Our Lady of Sorrows—experienced anguish at the Cross of her beloved Son, though she believed in the promise of the Resurrection.
“As Christians, we know we shouldn’t despair or give up hope. That doesn’t mean we can’t sorrow and weep and be sad when a loved one is departing from us.”
The more we love, the more we choose to open ourselves to the possibility of suffering: “Blessed are those who mourn" (Matthew 5:4). Those who mourn never “get over it” but instead must learn to frame loss in its greater context. We may always miss a loved one’s touch, voice, or presence—and it’s okay to miss those things. We can experience deep sorrow and yet still choose joy, holding fast in hope and constant prayer that our loved one will enjoy eternity with God in heaven. Until the day God draws us fully to himself, he continues to accompany us every step of the way, including in the throes of grief.
Up Next in Eternal Rest: The Art of Dying Well
-
What is an Estate Plan?
Estate planning is the process of taking inventory of material possessions and providing for the people we leave behind after death, especially children or other people we are responsible for.
Preparing an estate plan involves creating an inventory of our possessions, planning for what will happ...
-
How Do I Mourn With Someone?
The best way to mourn with someone is to focus on being present with the person, walking with them in their grief. Rather than offering platitudes, we should ask questions about their loved one, giving our grieving friend an opportunity to talk about and remember them.
When someone we love is gr...
-
What Happens at a Catholic Burial?
The final part of the funeral—the committal—takes place at the graveside, then the body is laid to rest.
After the funeral Mass concludes, the body is often immediately interred in its final resting place at the cemetery. Funeral attendees follow the hearse in procession to the grave, which is a...
