Being In Communion With Others

When my mom and dad died, I remember thinking how much they would have enjoyed being at the luncheon that followed their funeral—visiting, remembering, catching up, laughing. At prayer on the morning of Sr. Mary Margaret Bunck’s funeral, I had a similar feeling as we sang this Invitatory, written by Daniel Schutte:

Ever on my lips, the praises of the Lord

Ever in my mouth, God’s music.

Through the dark of night, in morning’s golden light,

God’s praises I will sing.

Sr. Mary Margaret would have loved to be present to sing God’s praises with us, as she had done for the past 73 years of monastic life. However, one of the privileges of being human is that when the dead can no longer give voice to their praise and thanks here on earth, we can be their voice and sing for them.

God gave us bodies to lead us into communion with others—through seeing them, listening to them, sharing the taste of food and the scent of flowers, and offering affection and caregiving through touch. Just so, our bodies are the vehicle of communion with those who have died when we sing their favorite songs, eat their favorite foods, look at pictures of them, and take in hand the letters they wrote and the books they read. Thus we don’t have to wait to be one with the communion of saints—our bodies give us the opportunity to enjoy their company every day!