NORMALLY at a funeral I come prepared to see emotionally drained relatives, unconcerned bystanders and a dead body that looks like it has had enough with all on earth including the grieving relatives. But I came out of this funeral charged, relieved and happy!
Most priests conduct a funeral service or mass which is totally ritualistic but this young priest from the parish the old lady belonged to, saw something else in the small crowd at the cemetery. He apparently looked beyond the grief of the family members and instead at the others who had assembled; he saw worry, problems and troubles resting in crease lined faces and it was to them he addressed his small message. It was maybe my face also he saw, troubled, anxious and taut.
“Our Lord has promised to carry all our troubles!” he said and my eyes which had been looking blankly at the dead mother of my friend did a double take, “come unto me all you who are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest!” said the young priest quoting from the scriptures.
He looked at the people staring blankly at him and obviously his young mind decided to give an example that all in the room would comprehend. ” Have you all travelled by train?” he asked and I saw the others nodding, I nodded to, ” And what happens to the heavy luggage you bring along with you by taxi or car, what do you do with it at the station?”
Suddenly I was interested. I knew what I did at the station, so did all the others. “You give your heavy luggage to a porter who comes running to take it, don’t you?” We all nodded, “And then what do you do?” We all knew what we did, “You all walk carefree behind the porter, your arms free, shoulders lighter with no load and a gay abandon in your walk, don’t you?”
Yes we did. “That,” said the young priest smiling, ” is what happens when the Lord takes your cares and worries and troubles. You walk behind Him free! And do you know something, you don’t have to pay God a rupee for His trouble, He does it absolutely free!”
With the image of the porter in my mind I walked out of the cemetery that day, my arms swinging. “Never seen you come back happy from a funeral,” said my wife amazed. “Met a Porter who took over all my luggage!” I said and chuckled at the lightness I felt.
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