Why is burial important

Often, too, the memories others choose to share with us at the funeral are memories that we have not heard before. Another primary reconciliation need of mourning is the development of a new self-identity.

We are all social beings whose lives are given meaning in relation to the lives of those around us. I am not just Alan Wolfelt, but a son, a brother, a husband, a father, a friend. When someone close to me dies, my self-identity as defined in those ways changes. The funeral helps us begin this difficult process of developing a new self-identity because it provides a social venue for public acknowledgment of our new roles. If you are a parent of a child and that child dies, the funeral marks the beginning of your life as a former parent in the physical sense; you will always have that relationship through memory.

In addition, having supportive friends and family around us at the time of the funeral helps us realize we literally still exist. When someone loved dies, we naturally question the meaning of life and death.

Why did this person die? Why now? Why this way? Why does it have to hurt so much? What happens after death? To heal in grief, we must explore these types of questions if we are to become reconciled to our grief. This does not mean we must find definitive answers, only that we need the opportunity to think and feel things through.

On a more fundamental level, the funeral reinforces one central fact of our existence: we will die. Like living, dying is a natural and unavoidable process. We North Americans tend not to acknowledge this.

Thus the funeral helps us search for meaning in the life and death of the person who died as well as in our own lives and impending deaths. Each funeral we attend serves as a sort of dress rehearsal for our own.

Funerals are a way in which we as individuals and as a community convey our beliefs and values about life and death. Being Alongside Your Loved Ones. Another benefit of burial is that it offers the ability to lay to rest, alongside your spouse, family member, or any significant loved one.

For example, if a husband passes away and is buried, his wife will likely be buried beside him to so they can be alongside each other for eternity. Quite often families choose to prepay for a set of plots so they can all be laid to rest beside each other. When purchasing a burial plot in advance, you can purchase a single plot, companion plots, which are typically meant for a married couple, or family plots, which is when a small area of the cemetery is dedicated to one family. This sense of being alongside your loved one offers a strong benefit to burial for some.

Allows a Proper Goodbye. For many, a full funeral with a burial service provides the most effective way to mourn the loss of a loved one, get closure, and deal with their grief.

Witnessing the coffin being lowered into the ground often gives people the closure they need during that time and is seen by many as a proper goodbye. Still Unsure of the Benefits of Burial? If you remain unsure if burial is the right option for your loved one, we are here to help. We encourage you to browse through our other resource pages that talk about planning a burial service and how burial has long been a part of a traditional funeral service.

Planning a Burial Service. Traditional Funeral Services. The soul is what lives on in the next life. These are common sentiments that arise when people choose to face the difficult subject of death, whether our own or those we love and care for. As such, there are serious questions.

Fortunately, the answers are fairly straightforward and ought to bring comfort to those who wish to do the right thing. The very foundation of Christian faith is the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. For those who could accept it, it proves, beyond the shadow of a doubt, that a new life awaits us beyond the grave. Today, belief in resurrection is the cornerstone of our Faith. John The grave, the tomb and death itself no longer signify the end.

They are a transformation into a new beginning. Without the physical reality of a place for earthly remains, we take away the opportunity to focus our attention on the mystery of this good news. Without the cemetery, this truth loses its impact in our lives. You have heard the saying that our bodies are a gift of God, a temple of the Holy Spirit. Just as the human body ought to be treated with respect and dignity in life, so it is meant to be treated in death.

Casketed remains—preferably whole—are present during the vigil and funeral to emphasize the connection between the living and the departed. This would be hard to manage without inviting the congregation to Mass, much less if the ashes of the departed are scattered on a distant mountainside or washing away from a garden and into the gutters of a street.