Bring Your Baby to a Funeral

Yesterday, I brought my baby boy to a funerary service, tselote fithat (the prayer of release). And you should too. Not mine. Yours. It was his first time. And there were a couple of outside comments against this, that I receive as blessings from God and an opportune moment to share the good news of Jesus Christ. All of my family at the funeral were glad to see him and shower him with hugs, kisses, and all manner of love. He was also blessed by many monks and the visiting archbishop of central gwender (including the eponymous city).

I did not know the woman who fell asleep with the lord, but I vaguely knew one of her daughters and her nieces, and I definitely (not defiantly habeshas, you know who you are) knew scores of people in attendance. The woman’s baptismal name is tirseete silasé. I would interpret her name as, donning the holy trinity, or putting the holy trinity on as if they are clothes. Very Syriac in expression. But, also biblical, “but put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts” (Romans 13:14 NKJV). I also encourage you to think of the classic line from the Christmas carol Deck the Halls, “don we now are gay apparel, fa, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la!”

Why would I make an appearance? Let alone my beloved son in whom I am well-pleased? Who cares what people think? What, if anything at all, does Scripture have to say regarding the matter?

A good name is better than precious ointment, And the day of death than the day of one’s birth; Better to go to the house of mourning, Than to go to the house of feasting, For that is the end of all men; And the living will take it to heart. Sorrow is better than laughter, For by a sad countenance the heart is made better. The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning, But the heart of fools is in the house of mirth.

(Ecclesiastes 7:1-4 NKJV)

As always, a quotation of any piece of Scripture from me should be received by you as an invitation to read the whole chapter followed by the whole book, followed by all of Scripture. Friends and family and I hope enemies that know me, know that I love tselote fithat. If I knew mewasiit, the Ge’ez Hymnal for the Dead, I would say I love that too. Even in my ignorance of it, or what little knowledge I do have, I love it. As an aside, there is a M.A. Thesis on the subject that I may share some insights with you all from one day. It is by ri’ise debr akalu of the Twin Cities.

Only in the film Wedding Crashers have I ever seen pop culture reference a Funeral Crasher. And obviously with very different motives than me. Nonetheless, Scripture teaches we should have more Funeral Crashers. I know a few others from my local parish amongst the choir who embody this ideal, as I try to. Note that the minister is reading aloud Ecclesiastes.

The Ephesus School Network did a whole chapter-by-chapter twelve episode series on Ecclesiastes that I heard with ears that hear, and I exhort you to do likewise. And if you already have, to do it again whenever you are feeling sad at the loss of a loved one. Fr. Marc Boulos and Dr. Richard Benton, the hosts, read the whole thing aloud at the funerary rite of Fr. Marc’s father.

At tselote fithat you can comfort the grieving, sorrowful, and vexed, whilst practicing a small portion of the eucharistic liturgy, without the eucharistic sacrifice. Where else on God’s green earth could you find such a two-for special?

The priests began chanting, in a loud voice:

Let us bow-down to worship

the deacons and the people responded:

the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost; being three He is one

We saluted and greeted the Church. We saluted and greeted the Holy Virgin Mary, the Mother of God. Then, said that she is

the golden container of incense which did bear the coal of fire which the blessed took from the holy place, and which forgives sin and blots out error, who is God’s word, who was made man from you, who offered himself to his Father as incense and a pleasant sacrifice. We bow-down to worship you, Christ, with your good, heavenly, Father, and your Holy Ghost, the life-giver, for you did come and save us.

I read aloud three Psalms of David in a row: 114, 115, and 116 (according to the Old Greek numeration)

Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, But to Your name give glory, Because of Your mercy, Because of Your truth. Why should the Gentiles say, “So where is their God?” But our God is in heaven; He does whatever He pleases. Their idols are silver and gold, The work of men’s hands. They have mouths, but they do not speak; Eyes they have, but they do not see; They have ears, but they do not hear; Noses they have, but they do not smell; They have hands, but they do not handle; Feet they have, but they do not walk; Nor do they mutter through their throat. Those who make them are like them; So is everyone who trusts in them. O Israel, trust in the Lord; He is their help and their shield. O house of Aaron, trust in the Lord; He is their help and their shield. You who fear the Lord, trust in the Lord; He is their help and their shield. The Lord has been mindful of us; He will bless us; He will bless the house of Israel; He will bless the house of Aaron. He will bless those who fear the Lord, Both small and great. May the Lord give you increase more and more, You and your children. May you be blessed by the Lord, Who made heaven and earth. The heaven, even the heavens, are the Lord’s; But the earth He has given to the children of men. The dead do not praise the Lord, Nor any who go down into silence. But we will bless the Lord From this time forth and forevermore. Praise the Lord!

I love the Lord, because He has heard My voice and my supplications. Because He has inclined His ear to me, Therefore I will call upon Him as long as I live. The pains of death surrounded me, And the pangs of the place of the dead laid hold of me; I found trouble and sorrow. Then I called upon the name of the Lord: “O Lord, I implore You, deliver my soul!” Gracious is the Lord, and righteous; Yes, our God is merciful. The Lord preserves the simple; I was brought low, and He saved me. Return to your rest, O my soul, For the Lord has dealt bountifully with you. For You have delivered my soul from death, My eyes from tears, And my feet from falling. I will walk before the Lord, In the land of the living. I believed, therefore I spoke, “I am greatly afflicted.” I said in my haste, “All men are liars.” What shall I render to the Lord, For all His benefits toward me? I will take up the cup of salvation, And call upon the name of the Lord. I will pay my vows to the Lord, Now in the presence of all His people. Precious in the sight of the Lord, Is the death of His saints. O Lord, truly I am Your servant; I am Your servant, the son of Your maidservant; You have loosed my bonds. I will offer to You the sacrifice of thanksgiving, And will call upon the name of the Lord. I will pay my vows to the Lord, Now in the presence of all His people, In the courts of the Lord’s house, In the midst of you, O Jerusalem. Praise the Lord!

Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles! Laud Him, all you peoples! For His merciful kindness is great toward us, And the truth of the Lord endures forever. Praise the Lord!

The Psalms are the fullest expression of the full range of human emotion in literature. They are full of grievances and praises, but there is a rhyme and a reason, guided by the Holy Ghost, as to their order. You will notice that the 100s are praise-laden.

Then, I read aloud 1 Corinthians 15: 42-end

So also is the resurrection of the dead. The body is sown in corruption, it is raised in incorruption. It is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness, it is raised in power. It is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body. And so it is written, “The first man Adam became a living being.” The last Adam became a life-giving spirit. However, the spiritual is not first, but the natural, and afterward the spiritual. The first man was of the earth, made of dust; the second Man is the Lord from heaven. As was the man of dust, so also are those who are made of dust; and as is the heavenly Man, so also are those who are heavenly. And as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly Man. Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does corruption inherit incorruption. Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed—in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.” “O Death, where is your sting? O place of the dead, where is your victory?” The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.

Then, a priest read aloud the Gospel According to John 5:24 - end

“Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life. Most assuredly, I say to you, the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God; and those who hear will live. For as the Father has life in Himself, so He has granted the Son to have life in Himself, and has given Him authority to execute judgment also, because He is the Son of Man. Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice and come forth—those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation. I can of Myself do nothing. As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is righteous, because I do not seek My own will but the will of the Father who sent Me.

Then, the priests read aloud the Covenant Prayer. Btw, all of this except the sung liturgical part I first quoted was in English. There were many English speakers in attendance, including the recently departed’s husband and two daughters.

Doesn’t this sound like a gay old time for a baby?