Shoe on the Wrong Paw

 

Understanding the connection between Baptisms and funerals

11/02/2025

Romans 6:3-9 Brothers and sisters: Are you unaware that we who are baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were indeed buried with him through baptism into death, so that,  just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might live in newness of life. For if we have grown into union with him through a death like his, we shall also be united with him in the resurrection. We know that our old self was crucified with him, so that our sinful body might be done away with, that we might no longer be in slavery to sin. For a dead person has been absolved from sin. If, then, we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him. We know that Christ, raised from the dead, dies no more; death no longer has power over him.

Have you ever heard people say, “Catholics do funerals right”? That sounds pretty bizarre, so what does it mean? People who attend a funeral Mass often leave feeling more peace, closer to Christ, and a renewed hope in the resurrection and reunion with their deceased loved ones.

You see, it is the familiarity and routine of the Mass – all the smells and the bells – spiritually wrap around us like a warm blanket on a cold winter night. At a funeral Mass I inject a little color commentary about these smells and bells. I explain to the congregation: “We begin this funeral Mass with signs of baptism. We sprinkle the casket with holy water, we place a white pall (cloth) over it, and we lead it to the burning Easter Candle.

"All three of those symbols were present when you and I were baptized: we were immersed in water, we were clothed in white, and there was a candle there to symbolize Jesus, the light of the world.” Then I ask: “Why do we think about baptism on the day of a funeral? Because St. Paul taught the Romans in chapter 6 of his great letter that those who are baptized into Christ will rise with him.

"Those who experience a spiritual death with the Lord will also experience his resurrection. In other words, Baptism throws open the doors of Paradise for us.” If were to put it grammatically, we would say that Baptism transforms death from a period at the end of the sentence of life, into a comma.

Today is All Souls’ Day and we pray for our loved ones who have died. By the way, did you catch our second reading today?  What a shocker, it’s taken straight from Romans 6. There we read: “Brothers and sisters, are you unaware that we who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?...

"For if we have grown in union with him through a death like his, we shall also be united with him in the resurrection.” That is, St. Paul was the first to speak grammatically, and say that Baptism changes death from a period to a comma at the end of the sentence of life.

Every year on All Souls Day we have adopted the Hispanic custom of erecting an All Souls Altar. We place pictures of our loved ones who have died and pray for them during a novena (9 days) of Masses. Incidentally, sometimes you also see the altar decorated with skulls or funny faces.

Why? Because Jesus’ resurrection has defeated death so decisively that death is just a joke, and we can laugh at it. Again, the sentencing-ending period of death is now just a cute little comma. But did you also notice where the All Souls Altar is located in our church? It sits directly in front of the baptismal font, where we baptize little babies.

Why put it there? Well, why not put it there? It’s not there just because it’s convenient and so everyone can see it. It’s there to make a theologically point, namely, to remind us about Romans 6. In other words, Baptism has everything to do with an All Souls Altar for the dead, because Baptism throws open the gates of Paradise for them. All the souls in purgatory are learning a little grammar right now: how the period of death has become a comma.

This weekend at the Saturday 5 p.m. Mass Bishop Taylor came to celebrate a Jubilee Mass for our parish. You may recall the bishop designated I.C. and four other churches in the state as “Jubilee Churches”. Pope Francis declared that during the Jubilee year we could visit a Jubilee Church and receive a plenary indulgence to remit the punishments we deserve for our sins in purgatory.

In a sense, a plenary indulgence functions like special Baptism because it throws open the gates of Paradise for us. It has the power to change a period into a comma. I have a little confession to make. I was temped to put a picture of my dog Apollo on the All Souls’ Altar. But I realized that I did not need to. Why not?

It’s not because I don’t love him. Rather it’s because he doesn’t need our prayers, like the people do who have died. Now think about this. Apollo never committed any real sins that need to be forgive, although he did destroy some pretty nice pillows. You can train an animal’s instincts to sit, and to heel, and to shake hands.

But you cannot form an animal’s conscience to choose between right and wrong moral options. And because Apollo did not have a moral conscience, and therefore, never committed a mortal sin, he doesn’t need our prayers. And so I did not his picture on the All Souls Altar. Some people ask, “Do dogs go to heaven?” That’s a silly question because of course all dogs go to heaven.

The real question people should ask is: “Do all human beings go to heaven?” And the answer to that all-important question depends on a whole host of circumstances and our moral choices, like Baptism, and following your conscience, and loving your neighbor, especially the poor, and forgiving those who hurt you, and treating your body like a temple of the Holy Spirit, and a million other critical factors.

In other words, my dog Apollo did not need to be Baptized and Apollo did not need a plenary indulgence because he never committed any sins, and therefore the gates of Paradise were already and always wide open for him. When we ask, “Do all dogs go to heaven?” the shoe is on the wrong paw.

That is, the reason you and I need the sacrament of Baptism and papal plenary indulgences – unlike Apollo – is because the gates of Paradise are not already and always open for us. When we do NOT do funeral Masses for our dogs, that is another reason Catholics do funerals right.

Praised be Jesus Christ!