Final Commendation
Priest:
With faith in Jesus Christ we reverently bring the body
of our sister Edna, to be buried in its human
imperfections. Let us pray with confidence to God
who gives life to all things, that He will raise this mortal
body to the perfection in the company of the saints.
May God give her a merciful judgement, and forgive all
her sins. May Christ, the Good Shepherd, lead her safely
home, to be at peace with God our Father. And may she
be happy forever with all the saints in the presence of
the Eternal King.
Signs of Farewell
Priest:
With water, and with incense we farewell our
sister Edna.
Edna’s coffin is now sprinkled with holy water. This reminds
us of Edna’s baptism where she was adopted by God as his
daughter, and she became a sister of Jesus Christ, her Lord
and Savior. She was made a living temple of God’s Spirit and
was incorporated into the Communion of Saints.
After the sprinkling, the coffin is incensed. This shows our
respect for the body which had within it the Spirit of God. As
the smoke rises towards heaven so do our prayers for Edna
and ourselves.