When people die What does dying mean Dying

When people die

What does “dying” mean? • Dying is when a person’s body can no longer do • • • what it needs to do to keep the person alive Some people die of old age, their body wears out Some people die because of accidents; their body gets too badly damaged Some people die because a part of their body doesn’t work as well as it should

Will I die? • Everybody dies at some point, but experts think many babies born today will live to be a hundred years old! • Anyway, for us dying isn’t a disaster because our soul lives on in heaven!

What is a soul? Where is it? • Imagine two identical twins. Are they really the same? • They may look the same, but they have quite different personalities • Your soul is the bit of God in you, that makes you UNIQUE, and loved by God as an individual • No scientist can find your soul, it’s a mystery

If God loves you, why do you have to die? • Everyone’s body, no matter how fit and strong, • • wears out in the end Your time on earth is important, make the most of it! When you die, you don’t need your body any more; it needs to have a funeral, so people can say goodbye, but the soul of the person lives on in heaven, with God, surrounded by love

Will we see the person again? • No, although we need to say goodbye to the • person’s body, the person is no longer there. Their soul has gone, their body remains At a funeral, we say goodbye to the body but we pray for the soul and we ask the person who has died to pray for us in return!

What is a funeral? • A special mass to pray for the person’s soul; the part of them that is ETERNAL, there before, during and after life on earth • A chance to say goodbye to the bit of the person we could see; their earthly body • A chance to show the family how much we care

What happens at a funeral? • The coffin will be at the front of the Church

What is a coffin? • The coffin is special, it is a place for the body • Coffins are chosen carefully; with dignity and love

Is the Mass a celebration? • Kind of, yes! We celebrate the life here on earth and God’s love for us all

Why are there happy hymns? • The family choose hymns they like • The Bible readings are also full of hope!

If it’s a celebration, why are people crying? • At a funeral you will see children, women and men crying • They are crying because they will miss the person who died so much here on earth; they will never see them again here • But they know they will see them again in heaven • Crying is good, it shows you care • Not crying is good, it shows you care too, just in a different way

The end of the service • The priest blesses the coffin with holy water and puts incense on it as a mark of respect • The coffin is taken from the Church. Many people will be upset • The family will go the cemetery to bury the coffin. The church will empty

The church empties, but we keep caring for the deceased and their family

The Cemetery • The body will be buried in the ground - its not needed any more • The burial is very respectful and caring • Sometimes the body is cremated

The Party • After the funeral, friends and family will meet for • • food and drink They will talk about the person they love and share stories about them They will hug the family, they will laugh, they will cry, but most of all they will remember

Time for questions and prayers. ?