Every religion follows certain rites for a person who dies. For Christian, it is generally carried at the church or cemetery or a crematorium. Christian funerals include readings, prayers, sermon, poems and music as well. Here any family member or a friend also chooses to deliver a eulogy as a tribute to the respective deceased person.
These funeral rites are known for their principles and actions, which need to be carried out after loved ones' death. There is a huge difference between Christian funeral rites and protestant rites. Christian funerals are more focused on the rituals, whereas protestant funeral rites are devoted to remembering the deceased. The funeral rites' overall purpose is to offer comfort to the deceased's soul and help it enter heaven. There are various Christian funeral service organizations, such as the kl funeral service, which assist you with funeral ceremony arrangements and preparations.
There are various stages in Christian funeral rites. Let's understand more about it.
Pre Funeral Rites
The pre-funeral rites include vigil. It is the stage where friends and family members come together before the funeral. They sing hymns, read prayers and exchange their memories. It is more of a celebration of life. This ceremony is generally performed at the deceased family's home. Sometimes they also perform this ceremony at the funeral home or a Christian church. If any Christian funeral service provider organizes it, then they make all this arrangement.
Funeral Day
Many rites followed on a funeral day. At the entrance, friends and family members arrive at the venue. Post that, the priest sprinkles holy water on the coffin and reads the specific passage from the bible. During the whole ceremony of the funeral, they chant hymns and various prayer readings. These funeral rhymes are instructed by the deceased before they pass out. They also read Psalms in this funeral ceremony. After this, in Mass, the priest delivers the Eucharist prayer with holy communion. It stays up to 30 minutes. The committal rites are performed by either a priest or a minister at the graveside or before closing the cremation's curtains. During the burial, all the family members and friends say the last goodbye to their loved one. Some of them also sprinkle some dirt in the casket.
Post Funeral Rites
Post funeral, a reception is held at the deceased family's place. Everyone gathers at their place to mourn and express their griefs. They offer their condolences and also read psalms. Here attendees bring flowers and gifts for the family members while family members offer food and drink to the attendees. All the post-funeral rites' arrangements can also be taken care of by funeral service providers like KL funeral service.
Generally, this overall funeral ceremony lasts for an hour. It can also get extended depending upon if it includes a Mass. At the funeral, you are expected to carry flowers or gifts for the deceased's family members. Sometimes the family also requests charity donations instead of flowers. Here at the funeral ceremony, you are expected to wear dark and smart clothes.
Like all other religions, the Christian faith also revolves around certain beliefs about heaven, purgatory and hell. A person's act defines where his soul will end up. While the sinners will be in hell, the righteous will find heaven, and they will be in the presence of a god. It is also believed that if one has done any forgivable sin, he needs to go through purgatory first before going to heaven.
