Reflections

Finding God in the midst of darkness is an act of the will and a trust that is given to us by faith. Faith by definition is believing in that which one does not see. Think about our Lord when He hung upon the cross and cried out, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken Me?” Some interpret this passage as if the Father had abandoned the Son, but this is a misreading. Jesus was quoting Psalm 22. I encourage everyone to read Psalm 22 in its entirety but let us just ponder verses 25-27: “For God has not spurned or disdained the misery of this poor wretch, did not turn away from me, but heard me when I cried out. I will offer praise in the great assembly: my vows I will fulfill before those who fear me.”

How much time do we ponder eternal life? I love the Gonzaga Bulldogs and Seattle Seahawks and I can see that sports are a great influence and blessing to our lives. But if the Zags where to win it all during March Madness and the Seahawks were the victors of the Super Bowl, that would have no true effect on our lives. Don’t get me wrong, I have always loved sports and know that they can bring us together, give us a release from everyday stressors, and playing sports ourselves can help develop good health and self-discipline. However, today I know too many people who have learned everything about their favorite sports teams but have never reflected on the King of Kings or spent any time contemplating Scripture. To be ignorant of Scripture, Saint Jerome reminds us, is to be ignorant of Christ.

God humbled Himself to become one of us so that He could be like us in every way but sin. His whole purpose was to teach us to have an authentic relationship with the Father. To fight for our salvation, He paid for the trespasses of all who believe. He is “the Christ, the Son of the living God.” (Mt 16:16) I pray that in this new year we will start again and be renewed. In our kickoff staff meeting here at Holy Cross, the theme of the meeting was “Begin Anew.” During the meeting we watched a short clip from the movie The Shack in which a sorrowful man hands his child who has passed away into the arms of Jesus. The Lord softly lays her in a beautifully prepared coffin. Then the man and Jesus quietly escort the child’s coffin to a gravesite that was prepared for her. This powerful scene reminded us of the profound care and responsibility we must take for those who have passed as well as for their families. We are ever mindful how important are the preparation of the physical body--the temple of the Holy Spirit--and the selection of the final resting place. The observance of proper funeral rites and how such ritual is of eternal importance for the living as well as for the person who has passed into the next phase of the human journey are also carry a deep and eternal significance.

Physical death is an inescapable part of every life. For Christians, life is lived in preparation for what is beyond. Because of the Resurrection, we know death need not be final, for as Saint Paul wrote, “if Christ has not been raised, then our proclamation has been in vain and your faith has been in vain…. But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead. (1 Cor 15:14, 20) In John 3:16, we are also reminded that “God so loved the world that He gave his only Son so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life.” You and I are called to know, love, and serve God alone, not political leaders, intellectual gurus, sports figures, famous celebrities or similar. Each of us is here for a divine and eternal reason and, as Mother Angelica, foundress of the Eternal Word Television Network (EWTN), so often reminded viewers, “Everyone is called to become a saint, don’t miss the opportunity. “

Therefore, let us all take this new year to focus on Christ’s loving example of living an authentic life with the Father and preparing ourselves, body and soul, for eternal life. Having well-planned preparations are such a great expression of love because they help alleviate stress on family, allow them to focus on the celebration of life, and come together in healing to comfort one another in prayer and shared grief. The pre-planned funeral is a beautiful gift to those we love. It reminds everyone that death is not the end of life, but through the power and grace of God, it is a new beginning, and we will one day meet again.

May God’s grace and blessing lead you.

Rick McLean

Executive Director,

Holy Cross Funeral and Cemetery Services

Christmas is a time to know that a lost world with no King has been changed for all eternity for Jesus was born of a Virgin. Now you and I have access into the heavens by the life, death and resurrection of the Eternal King who sacrificed himself for you and me.

I was in confession the other day and the priest, whom I greatly admire, advised that when I find myself in frustration, despair, confusion, or any state which causes me to take my eyes off Christ to ask myself a simple question: What am I most grateful for? He instructed me to then mediate on that question for a few minutes.

Upon exiting the confessional, I knelt and pondered that question. For what am I most grateful? The Church came to mind, the Body of Christ the bride of the Bridegroom. The Bridegroom who is to the High Priest who gives us the ability through the sacraments to not only confess our sins but to be washed clean of them, able to begin anew in our thoughts and in our walk within the fallen world. Often, we--or at least I--take for granted the mystery of life, death, and resurrection, picturing them almost as if watching a mere TV show with no real consequences. However, eternity is certainly not something we should take so lightly although perhaps we often do.

Sometimes we seek answers to life’s questions not from God as we ought but to our own desires. Out of pride we might be tempted to envision God’s path as we would it to be rather than humbling ourselves, trembling in fear, and begging Him to show us His way through this dark and deluded world.

I cannot state strongly enough that God is Love and Mercy and, as St. Faustina dictated from our Lord, He will save every soul, even those blackened by sin. However, will He save us if we do not know Him? In Matthew 7:23, Jesus says, ‘I never knew you; go away from me, you evildoers.’ These are the words of Christ, the King and High Priest. He desires ALL to come to Him, yet He fights for those who know, love, and serve Him. I pray for myself and all who read this “Reflection”, give us the power and grace to persevere in your love, Lord; to follow your ways, to embrace your mystery, and, most of all, to bring us live with You for all eternity".

Being prepared for one’s own mortality is essential. Dying in a state of grace and entering eternity through the proper gate are vital. I have seen firsthand the difference that the power of prayer, the solace of faith, and being prepared can make at the end of one’s earthly journey. I urge you plan ahead and let your family and friends know how you wish to enter the Eternal Kingdom. Vigil, Holy Mass and Commitment in sacred ground until the day of resurrection.

May God's love and peace shower over us all in this Christmas season! We should always be prepared to meet our mortality but without fear for we can ask as St. Paul does, ‘Where, O death, is your sting?’ (1 Cor 15:55). Christ arrived humble among us at the Nativity and He waits for us now in Heaven.

Merry Christmas!

Rick McLean

Executive Director,

Holy Cross Funeral and Cemetery Services

Hello Family and Friends,

As promised, this month's Reflection is about the decision to place your deceased loved one in consecrated ground. Such interment has been a tradition of our Christian faith since the very beginning when Jesus was laid in the tomb where His followers went to visit Him. Even before Christ’s burial, we read in the Old Testament of the importance of laying a loved one in ground specially set aside for memorialization which allows the human legacy to continue.

Human dignity comes from God and exists from a person’s conception until natural death. No one nor any legislation can alter this truth because people and laws can only cooperate with God’s creation or reject what He has made, not change it. Therefore, as Christians, we must embrace God’s divine and continual plan. Today, as throughout ages past, some people reject a culture of life and instead choose to embrace one of death. Either choice brings eternal consequences. If you are like me, there are many past decisions made from ignorance or even willful disobedience, but God's mercy and unfailing love forgives our sins. So, lay the past in the Lord’s hands and let the future be blessed by God. As we grow in our relationship with God and come to know Him, we begin to shape our lives according to His wishes for us to become the "best version of ourselves." Just let us look to the great transformation from Saul to Paul. His past decisions were overcome by his love for God and the coming of the Kingdom of Heaven. In one of my favorite Bible verses, Paul reminds us how God “desires everyone to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth” (1 Timothy 2:4). I know deep within my soul that we express our gratitude for God’s saving grace not only with prayer, but a life of faith in action. Look for no further evidence than the Holy Cross. For our Lord Jesus Christ died for us and was laid in a tomb. So, too, in my own life I have witnessed how through prayer and discussion we can allow ourselves to be led by the Holy Spirit and evolve spiritually and how one’s own path leaves its spiritual legacy on the generations.

Normally, I do not speak of specifics, but I will share this story from before I was—or ever thought I would be--in the Catholic funeral and cemetery ministry. My oldest brother, Denis McLean, was an incredible man and I always admired his generous heart and brilliant mind. He left organized religion at the age of 18 for the most part and did not return until six months before he died. I believe it was the grace of God that enabled me to live with him and share those last two years during which we enjoyed many long conversations about the nature of God, the teachings of the Catholic Church, and various other religious topics (e.g. the Steelers versus the Seahawks). These were often vigorous exchanges but always bounded by mutual love and respect. Originally, Denis thought he wanted to be cremated and have his ashes scattered in the ocean. While the teaching of the Catholic Church does allow for cremation so long as the body of the departed is treated with love and respect and a denial of faith in the resurrection of the body is not demonstrated, Church teaching does not permit the scattering of ashes nor keeping remains at home (CCC #2301).  As Denis and I continued to discuss God’s unfailing love and how the Church is here to hold onto all God desired for His people, I expressed the belief in Christ as the Perfect Vessel without blemish shining as brightly today as at the Last Supper in the Upper Room. “But we have this treasure in clay jars to show that its extraordinary power comes from God and not from us” (2 Corinthians 4:7), and how when we go home to God our vessels, too, will shine in everlasting life. Six months before he passed away, Denis asked me to make arrangements for a priest to hear his confession, which of course gladly I did.  Then on his own accord he made arrangements to have his urn placed below the waterfalls at St. Joseph Cemetery in Spokane Valley. His soul rose among the angels and saints at the Holy Mass during which many came from great distances to attend and bid this beautiful soul farewell. Now by God's grace many of my family members meet at the gravesite each December on the day Denis went to be with the Lord. We say a prayer and remember how fortunate we are to have known him, then we go drink a toast to Denis, thankful that his pain is ended and his love and memory will live forever in our hearts.

Shortly after, I was called by God and began to serve Him in this ministry.  Because of my time with my brother, I understand well the importance of following the Lord in both how we live our lives and how we face our deaths. I have often seen one of my siblings or our father swing by St. Joseph Cemetery to visit Denis. His beautiful resting place gives solace to his family members and provides a concrete address where they can come and spend time with him again. Let us rethink being thrown into the sea or scattered on a golf course. Let us make a resting place fit for a king or a queen of the Kingdom of Heaven so that generations to come can visit us and remember our human legacy. This is the final act of our baptism that shows the world that we have fought the good fight and remained faithful to Christ’s teaching through His Church. Jesus, I trust in you. May our Lord Jesus Christ prepare us for eternal life.

God Bless,

Rick McLean

Executive Director,

Holy Cross Funeral and Cemetery Services

Hello Family and Friends,

Within the disturbing clatter of current events in the world, it is easy for a soul to lose the call from God to know, love and serve Him. Throughout the ages, many have said the signs are here, the Second Coming is now, and on this date or that date this is what will happen. As a Catholic and a person who listens to the teaching and wisdom of Mother Church, I understand we cannot know when or how the Parousia will arrive or what it will look like for even Jesus has said, "But of that day or hour no one knows, neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father" (Mk. 13:32). We look to Scripture and the saints which tell us that we are closer today than yesterday, and today is always a good time to repent and return to God.

The best way we can prepare for the Second Coming is to trust in God alone and see that Our Lord Jesus

Christ wants us to walk with him on the journey into Heaven.

I spoke with a Christian brother for hours the other night. As we discussed current events, we could not

help but wonder what the Last Days would look like. We both agreed that Christ will come in all His glory

and, with the angels and the saints, set up His eternal kingdom. Theologians and Christian leaders teach that when we embrace and believe in the sacraments, we have a sense that we are participating with those in Heaven. This is not a myth or legend. I have been blessed to feel God so strongly in the sacraments that I was brought to tears of joy and peace. I have been “raptured up,” if you will, in the presence of God.

As the executive director of Holy Cross Funeral and Cemetery Services, I have been blessed to witness firsthand those who are ready to meet God. I can see those families and individuals who have God alongside them in their daily walks and how the rich dogma of the Church has helped lead them through life. They have a spirit of confidence and anticipation for what is to come and understand the importance of planning for themselves and their families. A funeral is more than ritual or a gathering for remembrance. It is a greater event with eternal consequences.

With great trust, it is anticipated that God’s mercy awaits. A plan for the time of passing which incorporates the traditions and sacred rituals of Christ’s Church provides a road map, if you will, toward Heaven. With an unwavering confidence in the sacraments and trust in the power and mercy of confession, they plan for a vigil night of Scripture reading or the recitation of the intercessional prayers of the rosary. They understand the summit of our faith is Holy Mass in which we remember the events of the life of Christ. We ponder His life, death, and resurrection, we know that with Him we will live forever in the glory of the eternal kingdom. Next month I will reflect on the committal and the significance of placement in sacred ground.

May our Lord Jesus Christ prepare us for eternal life.

God Bless,

Rick McLean

Executive Director,

Holy Cross Funeral and Cemetery Services

Hello Family and Friends,

As the Executive Director of Holy Cross Funeral and Cemetery Services of Spokane, I understand the great mission and the great responsibility we bear to assist the faithful during these troubled and uncertain times. Rest assured that we are following all state mandates and taking every step to make the environments safe for the public and our staff at all three of our cemetery properties.

For some time now, I have been contemplating how God allows us to experience various trials that we might reflect on the direction of our lives and it is my belief God does this solely to redirect our steps back towards Him. Yes, there is great fear during the Covid-19 pandemic, but I have come to embrace the truth that God alone is the author of life and death and the only true antidote to our anxieties is trusting in Jesus. Maybe the question that should most concern us is, Are we ready to meet God? For we all are aware that there are no guarantees in the moments that lie ahead.

As a Catholic, I find immense comfort in the love and mercy of God and in knowing that He is the High Priest who is ministering to us day and night. The sacraments of the Holy Church are the visible signs that Christ initiated to bring us grace and prepares us for eternal life.

May God’s blessings be upon us all.

Rick McLean

Executive Director,

Holy Cross Funeral and Cemetery Services