Going to a funeral is also a work of mercy

Among the corporal works of mercy there is one that sounds old-fashioned: burying the dead. Today almost nobody digs a grave, but the work is still there: going to the funeral home, to the funeral, to a Mass for someone who has died. It's a hassle, it's hard to find the time and we don't know what to say. But for the family it means a lot to see who has come. No speech is needed: a hug, an "I'm sorry", staying for a while. It's a way of saying that that life mattered. It's also a chance to pray for the person who has died and to think, without drama, about your own life. Accompanying others as they say goodbye reminds us of what truly lasts.