Spices
As I read along, I thought it very interesting - the custom of putting spices on a dead body, preparing it for burial. I really don't know any history on it, but I wonder where it came from. And why it isn't done anymore. Or maybe it is practiced in the Middle East, I wouldn't know. Anyway, it's interesting to note the tender care these people took in caring for their dead. We don't do that in our culture. We seem to be raised with some fear and intimidation of a dead body. We get it to a funeral home as quick as we can. And many people can't even look at a dead body, much less care for it. Nowadays, we don't even keep vigil over our loved ones bodies in the home, as was done back in the 20's, 30's and 40's. Curious.
What a gracious act of love these women were willing to perform for their Lord. Thankfully, for the world's sake, He wasn't there.
What a gracious act of love these women were willing to perform for their Lord. Thankfully, for the world's sake, He wasn't there.
posted by Anonymous at
9:00 AM
8 Comments:
You are so right about our current aversion to handling the dead. Some of us aren't even willing to go to a "viewing" if the casket is open at the funeral home.
When I came into this community it was explained that we do, in fact, wash and prepre the body of a sister who has died, and keep vigil with her through the next day. Then because of state law, the body is removed and sent to the funeral home for embalming and cremation.
By
Claire Joy, at 11:25 AM
I'm with you, Gayla. I've always been intrigued about the old burial rituals - especially those in the Bible and those of ancient Egypt.
It is odd how we've gotten to the point of being afraid to even look at a dead body - but then I have always felt like if you can't look at someone who's passed on perhaps it is you who can't face your own death? People who are able to handle the process of burying their dead also seem to have processed their feelings about death and what is to come.
Just my thoughts (as Addie would say!)
By
HeyJules, at 11:26 AM
It would be interesting to investigate the anthropology and evolution of our burial rituals. I always think of horror movies when I think of caskets and dead people.
By
kpjara, at 11:38 AM
Do you think that the spices they used were in fact their "embalming stuff" for their day? Today we preserve the body a lot longer, it seems to me, than they did then. Just asking.
Amen to His not being there! :)
By
Pilot Mom, at 12:24 PM
May be Claire; it makes sense. Theirs was just on the outside of the body instead of the inside, like today. And of course they didn't have funeral homes and morticians to do the work for them either.
CJ, that is quite a nice thing y'all have going. I like that. It just seems so respectful to me. Cremation is a 'have to' in your state, or is this only for the order?
kp, you're gonna have to get over those images, now! :) Get those horror movies outta your mind.
Jules, that is an excellent point. Roger used to be that exact way. Couldn't file past a casket if his life depended on it. (no pun intended!) He's done such a 180 in the arena of death. He's a hospice volunteer, in fact. The change was solely God.
By
Anonymous, at 2:35 PM
The embalming is required even if you plan to have the body cremated (go figure.) And the cremation must be done by a licensed establishment. (We can't build a bonfire in the back yard.) I think the cremation (as opposed to burying a body) is our custom, though, because we have a columbarium where all the sisters' ashes are interred.
By
Claire Joy, at 3:18 PM
For me, I could never bring myself to be cremated. My main thing which I get hung up about (for me personally) is the cremating which was practiced by the pagen religions and God had the Jews bury their dead. I don't ever desire to make it to the end and then be cremated. Now, Jim on the other hand.... :)
By
Pilot Mom, at 3:44 AM
Thanks for that, CJ. :)
By
Anonymous, at 8:58 AM
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