
St. Louis Bertrand, Foreston * St. Mary's, Milaca * St. Kathryn's, Ogilvie * St. Mary's, Mora
Welcome to Four Pillars in Faith Area Catholic Community
The Four Pillars in Faith Area Catholic Community, grounded and united in our love of Jesus Christ,
seeks to know, love, and serve God through sacraments, prayer, education, hospitality, stewardship,
and evangelization of our communities.

A Message from Our Pastor
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
In last week’s article, I wrote about the importance of burying the cremated remains of those who have died, and how it reflects the intrinsic human dignity we all possess. I want to expand on that topic a little more and look at some of the other reasons the Church asks us to bury the dead.
First, we should remember that burying the dead is on the list of the seven Corporal Works of Mercy. The term ‘corporal’ comes from the Latin ‘corpus’ meaning body. The Corporal Works of Mercy are works of the body for the body. They are physical things we do with our bodies to help meet the bodily needs or alleviate the bodily sufferings of others. The majority of the seven Corporal Works come from Matthew 25:40 when Jesus says, “Whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.” He speaks of bodily things – giving food and drink to the hungry and thirsty, or visiting in person (bodily) those who are ill or imprisoned. Though that list does not include burying the dead, we see its importance throughout the Old Testament and the New, and has been included since ancient times. Burial in the Bible is seen as a respect for the body and a connection to the promises of God (e.g. Genesis 23:17-19; 25:9-10; Tobit 1:16-18). Even criminals were to be buried (cf. Deuteronomy 21:22-23). We must also remember how Jesus was buried: His body treated with great respect, wrapped in care with burial cloths along with spices and placed in a tomb, according to Jewish burial custom (cf. John 19:40). How blessed are those who cared for the body of our Lord so devoutly!
Second, it is important to understand what we mean by ‘mercy’ in this context. Often when we hear ‘mercy’ we think of forgiveness or of reducing punishment. That is a valid understanding, but the way the Church uses the term ‘mercy’ is much bigger than that. Mercy is a virtue which moves us to express love and compassion in response to the human sufferings or needs of others by doing what we can to alleviate their anguish. When we pray, “Lord, have mercy,” we are not just asking God to forgive our sins. We are acknowledging to God that we are suffering because of our sins, and we ask him to ease our suffering and sorrow. Removing us from those sins and our attachments to them is certainly a necessary part of easing our sorrow, but it is still only a part. When we perform works of mercy, we are helping others in the midst of their sufferings, often providing something for them that they could not obtain on their own or would struggle to obtain. A person who has died is no longer capable of caring for their body. When alive, they cared for their body and honored it. Out of love for them and in mercy, when they die, we should honor and care for their body when they can no longer do it for themselves.
Peace in Christ,
Father Timothy
