Conversation with son Richard Ames Mapp over the meaning of death and the Catholic Churchs opposition to cremation: Dad- Ricky, I have been struggling to make sense of your Aunt Cathys death and it seems to me I should discuss it with you and the family, there is a meaning and purpose there but Im not sure I can articulate it. Ricky: Yea, its very tough, I feel for you. Dad: well, you know Cathy wanted to be cremated. The Church does not approve of cremation. Ricky: That sounds goofy, why not? Dad: we believe in the resurrection of the body and soul after the second coming of Jesus, and we are taught to respect our bodies as the temple of the lord. If we destroy our bodies, we are disrespecting the Lord, or so the teaching goes. Ricky: I dont know about all that- if God is powerful enough to resurrect us, He is not going to have any trouble finding all the pieces of our bodies and zipping them back together. Dad-good point. Ricky: I think the real lesson is to savor every moment we have, and to be grateful for our lives and the people in them, because life itself is the greatest gift. Dad: stunned silence.
Posted on: Thu, 01 Jan 2015 22:52:02 +0000