Death and Dying: Reflections and Practicalities

Lent naturally faces us with the theme of death and dying.

One tradition invites us to approach Lent and Holy Week as if we are walking vigilantly with a close friend who is suffering and close to death.  That friend is, of course, Jesus, who faces death with the love of God and who, through death, opens to us a new way of living.

As Spring prepares to bloom, we reflect on the natural-world season of death (winter) that always transforms into a season of new life.  Nothing that dies in the natural world is lost, but every nutrient returns to strengthen the life of the next season, the next generation.  The leaves that hold such rich minerals from the deep soil, in death, release their wealth to the earth for the new sprouts to take in.  So we pray that nothing in our lives would be lost, but that our lives will bring a gift and a blessing to those who come after us.  Death and life are woven together and are inseperable.

This Lent, which begins on Ash Wednesday March 2nd, St. Augustine's will create space to reflect on Death sacramentally, to consider memorial planning, to have conversation about our own thoughts on death, and to engage other practicalities.

While this program theme was planned many months ago, it has turned out that this AGM (Feb 27th) we are being invited to consider creating a memorial garden at St. Augustine's.  This is a fitting time of reflection on death for us, because holding death in holy space allows God to hold us in the light of life, hope, faith, and love.

Details to follow.