starting, continuing and ending

as a priest, i am often involved with people's deaths, sometimes directly and sometimes because people ask me for advice. growing up in the sixties, i was of course very aware of the tibetan book of the dead. often people ask me, is there, or why is there not, a christian book of the dead. actually there is, but it is largely ignored in western christianity, and it is available to most people because it is included within the bible.

indeed part of the tradition i'm calling the christian book of dying is continued amongst roman catholics who pray a rosary with the dead. the episcoapal church has included a vigil in their new burial rites. the tradition is more widely and fully carried out by orthodox christians.

despite the basic simplicity of the practice i'm describing, it is not easy to carry out in modern america, because we are so separated at death and from our dead.

it is also difficult to practice a christian death because so few of us practice a christian life. our friends who are buddhists or martial artists or lawyers have a practice, but for most christians the idea of a "practice" seems exotic or foreign. the texts that have traditionally accompanied christians dying are the same texts which have traditionally accompanied christians living.

those texts are primarily two: the song of songs, and the psalter.

at the time of death, the body is washed and clothed in a white garment. (we have in modern times lost the white garment of baptism, and it's symbolic connection with death, so good clean clothes have come to be used most often instead.) then the song of songs is sung or read to the person whose soul, in the wonderful words of the english book of common prayer, is departing.

i have been amazed by what a powerful action this is. even in situations where only a recording of the song is played, perhaps in latin, with people who would not consider themselves christian at all, the rite is understood with no explanation other than saying that the song tells of the love of christ for our souls.