Sermon from Archbishop Lazar Puhalo

In the name of Father, Son and Holy Spirit!

Beloved brethren, "Rejoice in the Lord, and again I say rejoice". Today we have celebrated the memory of our dear sister who recently departed this life. When I told you that there would be no black draperies on the table and no black vestments for this service, some of you were distressed, as were a few when we celebrated the funeral in white vestments. You thought black trappings and vestments appropriate for sorrow and mourning at funerals and memorials.

The use of black vestments is borrowed from the Latins, whose terrible teaching about purgatory makes them forget the mercy of Christ and mourn as if they had no hope. But both the wearing of black and black drapings to add excess mourning are opposed to the Orthodox Faith, as they are contrary to the Holy Scripture. We do mourn at funerals, but we mourn not for the departed, but for ourselves, that we have been deprived of the presence of one we love. But to make the event a time of general mourning and blackness shows that we are weak in faith, that we have forgotten Christ and His love. We have only to put the matter into the thought of our holy father John Chrysostom: "What do you do, those who wish to profane this holy day of Resurrection? Those who would have us hang mournful black all around? Do you not believe in Christ? Why disgrace the one who has departed? Why cause the rest to fear and tremble at death? Why cause people to accuse God? You are fighting and warring with yourself. Why do you mourn as heathens who have no hope in the resurrection?

The first-century historian of the Church, Minucius Felix, well advises us how we should adorn our funerals, when he describes the Christian funerals of the Church in early Christian times:

"There is no mourning at our funerals. Why should there be? We adorn our funerals with great peacefulness, as we adorn our lives. No fading crown of flowers is placed on the dead brows, for we hope for an ever-verdant, eternal garland. In peacefulness and modesty, safe in the abundance and liberality of our God, we are enlivened with the hope of the future joy with faith in God's present majesty. So we arise in blessedness and live in the contemplation of what is yet to come."

Do we wish to shroud ourselves in black from fear of death for our sakes or for the sake of the departed? Our holy father Ambrose of Milan corrects us:

"The foolish dread death as if it were the total of all evils. The foolish fear death, either because they think it means annihilation, or because they are terrified by fables about...the array of demons, the steep cliffs of darkness, etc. These are full of fables." (St Ambrose of Milan, On the Good of Death, par.32-33)

Let us put these things behind us now, and come to an understanding of the meaning of an Orthodox death, let us put aside our un-Orthodox black vestments and draperies and rejoice with St Gregory the Theologian, crying out:

"I believe the words of the wise, that every fair and God-beloved soul, when it departs from here, goes forth rejoicing to meet its Lord...and enters the joy of blessedness laid up for it."

Black vestments and draperies are unfit and shameful for Orthodox funerals and memorials, as if we should enter a bridal chamber dressed in dark, dreary clothing. Have you never heard that we celebrate funerals and memorials? No, let us, dressed in proper wedding garments of white and gold put aside mourning in favour of hope, as our father John Chrysostom teaches:

"Where miracles are, there should be no tears; not where such a mystery is celebrating. Hear me, I beg you:...in the case of our reposed also, a great mystery is celebrating. If we were sitting together and the emperor sent to invite one of us to his palace, would it be right, I ask, to weep and mourn? Do you not know what a mystery is taking place, how awesome, how truly worthy of hymns and praises? Will you not learn so that you may know that this is no time for tears? For it is a very great mystery of the Wisdom of God. For, having its dwelling the soul goes forth, speeding on its way to its own Lord, and do you mourn?...For as the sun rises clear and bright, so the soul, having left its body with a clear conscience, shines joyously...When the soul, having left the body is departing in the company of angels, think how the soul must be then! In what amazement, what wonder, what delight! Why do you mourn?" (St John Chrysostom Homily 21, on Acts 21:5)

"But this," the saint assures us, "is the reason for the prayers and psalms and glorification of God: so that you do not lament and weep, but instead, thank God Who has taken him..." (St John Chrysostom, loc cit)

Let no one, therefore, speak to me any further of black vestments and black trappings at funerals and memorials. They only distract the minds of our youth and turn them away from the Gospel of Christ. They are completely anti-Orthodox and contrary to the Gospel of Christ. But at our funerals and memorials let us mix our grief with rejoicing, or if we cannot rejoice, then at least take comfort in the words of him who promised:

"Neither death nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come...shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Apostle Paul).