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Memorial Service
LHS
45th reunion Saturday, June 29, 2002
By Sister Deanna Rose Von Bargen, LHS
'57
I would like to share with you something
that is meaningful to me.
During the Enlightenment in Europe, the Catholic Church did not allow
its members to be cremated. This was because a group of atheists
cremated their dead specifically as a statement of disbelief in the
resurrection of the body after death. Now-a-days we're far enough
removed from those times, that cremation is acceptable again. And
we don't even have to worry about how all the bits and pieces of our
body will get back from the worms, because that resurrected body will be
entirely NEW !
I have a theologian friend who thinks that our resurrected body will
include everything that is morally good about us, all our good deeds,
all the roles we played in this life, and our unique personalities; and
it will not include anything morally wrong that we may have ever done --
all that will be wiped away and disappear in God's merciful heart.
This theologian points out that Christ didn't rise OUT of the cosmos,
rather, he became ALL-COSMIC. You know, Christians do believe that
the risen Christ is everywhere. So.. the same will happen to us:
our new resurrected body, after earthly death, will be the entire
universe.
This sounds rather Buddhist to me, because Buddhists believe that we are
all part of one another, whether living or dead. We are all part
of the entire universe as well --- trees, animals, bugs -- part of all
the people on the earth, especially part of those whom we loved and who
loved us.
And we don't have to wait until something called "the last
day" comes along. We have no idea when that is, because there
is no time or space with God; it happens right after we die. Our
theologian calls this "graduation."
My friend, Sister Dorothy O'Brien, died a couple of weeks ago, of
cancer. She had been Assistant to the Administrator at St.
Joseph's Hospital for the past 12 years, and she left to die in Los
Angeles where the Sisters of St. Joseph have their center. I miss her a
lot. But I have no desire to visit her grave in Los Angeles, if
she is here with me now. It comforts me to know that she is even
here.
This is my belief. Your belief may be different from mine.
Whatever your belief is, about the after-life, you are invited to keep
that in mind as you hear the names of our classmates whom we are
honoring today. We will pause a moment over each name, to allow
time for recalling each person's memory.
Names of LHS class of '57 were read by Deanna Von Bargen, Chug Frank, Arliss
Palmer Morris and Norman Spekker.
Concluding
Prayer:
Gracious God,
see us here before You our Creator --
those of us still here in our natural bodies
and those of us who have "graduated" into your arms.
Encircle us all in your great big HEART;
let us experience your love,
let us enjoy the splendid uniqueness of each one,
and thank You for all your gifts to us.
AMEN. |
