In Monastic Life, we have a custom of celebrating the death of a Sister. We know that she has reached her goal of seeking God and is now seeing Him face to face. We are happy for her. So, we begin our ritual by sitting with a Sister who is dying. We stay with her through all of her waking hours until she is on her way to eternity. The custom of singing songs, praying psalms, and talking about the spiritual life assures that our Dear Sister will not die alone.
The Words of Remembrance are prepared by another Sister who knows the deceased Sister well and has some "stories," perhaps, to bring to the community. We love to hear about her life as a child, her family, and some of the missions where she served. Usually the stories begin to flow as soon as we have heard that our Sister has gone to Heaven.
The family and friends of each Sister are invited to the Wake and Eucharistic Celebration sending her to meet God. At the funeral dinner, we tell stories and hear things about this Sister that we may not have known before. It is a wonderful time to become acquainted with the great goodness of her life.
Many of us, like myself, did not know Sister Lucille well because she was part of the delegation from Eau Claire that joined St. Benedict's Monastery in 2010. But, today, I learned that she was a marvelously wise and witty woman who was loved and admired by many. I wish I had had the privilege of getting to know her. Now, I will have to wait until I meet her in Heaven.
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