Ashes

I was with a group of priests recently and the issue of cremens  or ashes of a deceased person came up.  Why so much of it they asked.  No one gave the answer that it has become so complicated to get everyone to a funeral nowadays, so instead of deep freezing the body, they cremate.  The funeral can happen some weeks later.  it used to be that when a relative died everyone dropped whatever they were doing and traveled to the funeral.  Airlines even gave funeral discounts to relatives.  No more discounts.  Plus, there seems to be a lot more to drop in your life which has become so complicated.  Modern life is a mess of complications and commitments.  Everyone is in over their heads in agenda, meetings, sports and clubs to say the least.  "I love my Dad/Mom/Sibling, but I just  cannot get away now."  Death is important in post modern America, but it has lost some sense of urgency.  When I die, the Paulists will have the funeral right away, relatives or not.  Paulists don't cremate as a rule.  Then the burial wherever I died, since I did not specify one particular grave site.  I like that.  You can drop whatever you are doing or not.  Come or stay home. I am dead.  I will have more important things to worry about.  Wherever you are, light a candle.  I will need some prayers