One of my favorite tombstones are those that look like trees that have been cut down. The symbolism is quite obvious. Here is a life that was cut short. There are a couple close by that have smaller limestone logs laying about that are markers for other people in the family. So while the mother and father may be marked by a large trunk, the subsequent children of the family are found round about with matching bark. Can I say it? They are regular chips off the old block.Sorry.
What image comes to mind when you hear the word “Undertaker?” Do you think of a tall, sallow, lanky man in a black suit and top hat? Do you think, “Creepy?” It is unfortunate that this word has fallen into disuse. It is not a creepy word at all. In fact it is quite nice and accurate. No longer did families have to handle everything for themselves at the death of a loved one. There was someone who would “under take” all the arrangements for them.
This person then gained the title Undertaker.
And a great big thanks to Habemus Papem for undertaking this post for the last couple of days! And thank you for your prayers as you were all in mine.
2 comments:
Welcome back, Fr. V! Hope you had a great retreat.
And HP did a great job, as always.
Anyway, I do still occasionally hear the term "Undertaker" although I'd never given any thought to where the term came from. And you're right...it is accurate.
And thankfully, most of the undertakers I've met are very clean and professional looking. You'd never be able to match them with "sallow, gangly..etc".
I do wonder what draws people to study funeral science, though. We as a society could not survive without them, but I can't imagine spending my days in funeral homes and in the "background" with someone's beloved dead. Thank God for them!
-Can I say it? They are regular chips off the old block.-
Yup. Fr. V is back.
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