Blessing at the end of the Committal

Bishop Eric Menees

Dear brothers and sisters, I pray that this Bishop’s Note finds you safe and well this week after Pentecost! Today we will finish our study of the Pastoral Rites section of the BCP by looking at the blessing at the end of the Committal.

Then may be said Officiant        Rest eternal grant to him, O Lord; and may his soul,                         and the souls of all the faithful departed,                         through the mercy of God, rest in peace. People            And may light perpetual shine upon them. A Priest may bless the people saying The God of peace, who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus Christ, the great Shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is well-pleasing in his sight; and the blessing of God Almighty, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, be among you, and remain with you always. Amen. The Officiant may dismiss the people with these words Alleluia, alleluia. Let us go forth in the Name of Christ. People        Thanks be to God. Alleluia, alleluia.

The Committal, and the burial as a whole, ends in a very interesting way. While the service has focused on the person being buried, this closing doesn’t mention them at all. If you look closely this blessing doesn’t even mention the family and friends who mourn their loved one’s death. Rather this is a blessing for all of those who have attended the burial and it hits on one of the main reasons for the burial. Yes, in a burial we pray for the person who has died, we comfort the bereaved, but this is also a time when we should be reminded of our calling as Christians. This begins with that reminder of the resurrection, and drives it home that God make us perfect in every good work to do his will. A burial isn’t just about looking at one singular death, it’s also about asking ourselves what that death and the hope in which they’ve died means for our faith and our lives. I pray you all have a blessed Trinity Sunday!