KATHRYN’S FUNERAL

Written by Luz Leigh 30 June 2007

      My friend Kathryn has been buried; the family and friends have said final earthly goodbyes to her.

      Her daughter asked me to do a scripture reading at the funeral mass that was held at the local Catholic church. At first I was nervous about doing that because that was a first for me. I am not of the Catholic faith, but have attended many celebrations in the church of which Kathryn was a member. I knew there are a lot of formalities associated with the masses. I told the daughter I would read the scripture in memory of my dear friend.

      To get support for this undertaking, I sent out several emails, asking for prayers, and made a few phone calls. All were so supportive in their replies. One email was especially touching….gave me the courage I needed. I printed it and carried it with me to the church and as I stood behind the lectern. Here are his words: “You will need to be strong for ALL of those present. It IS within you to do so. Cuz you know TRUTH of what comes after death. Keep the TRUTH in mind during sharing and you will not be overcome.” I claimed the promise of our Lord who said he would be with us wherever we go and the comforting words of my friend. HE was standing there with me as I read.

      The scripture passage I read was from 1^st Corinthians 15:51-58 concerning the final victory over death. I first read from the Catholic version of the Bible which is very similar to the King James Version. Then the Lord gave me the courage to read the same passage from The Living Bible, Paraphrased, which makes the words so much easier to understand, especially for non believers or those who do not read the Bible regularly. It is a beautiful passage.

      During the homily the priest spoke of Kathryn as being a caring, gentle person. Much of what he said was taken from the story I posted recently entitled “My Friend Kathryn”. 

      It was with pleasure that I rode in the police car, driven by my son, that led the procession from the church to the cemetery where Kathryn was interred near her family. She knew and loved my children, as did her mother and brother who had also been my neighbors. The procession took us past the home from which she moved a few years ago. The grass had been freshly mowed and the flowerbeds had been worked. As we passed the street on which she had lived, I knew there were many following in the procession that had turned down that street many times. Family members and friends had visited her in the past, enjoying not just her presence, but that wonderful home cooking for which she was famous.

      At the cemetery the sun was shining, but in the distance were dark rain clouds gathering. The gentle breeze kept us comfortable as we stood by the casket for the final goodbyes. There were not many tears because we had grieved before we arrived there. Lots of smiles, good memories of a great lady. 

      It was the first Catholic funeral my young grandson had ever attended. Was an experience for him. At the cemetery he and his mom walked among the graves, looking at certain headstones as she recounted some memories of different people who had been a part of her life.

      Then we all gathered at the parish hall for a sumptuous meal prepared by the ladies of the church. The food was good and the fellowship was what we all needed for closure. Happy memories were shared. The only bad thing about the gathering was that Kathryn could not be there in person to enjoy it.