Grief is heavy–even heavier than the casket we sometimes are asked to bear.
We carry our loss differently.
But it weighs on us.
We strain to embody, even hold up the love that lives within.
My Prayer:
God, I look back for so many reasons. Thank You for understanding my heart. Love, Jill
Invitation to Prayer:
As you gaze gently at this image of friends of the deceased walking behind her casket, what prayers come to your heart and mind? Share them freely.
Scriptural Touchstone:
Then Israel charged them, saying, “I am about to be gathered to my people. Bury me with my ancestors… Genesis 49:29 NRSV
Images
These images are of the pall bearer’s transporting the catafalque that supported Mary’s coffin. They are found in the middle of the Glorification of the Virgin stained glass window at Chartres Cathedral in France (1205-15).
To Understand the Image Better
Funeral Procession for the Virgin Mary: an explanation of this panel on the University of Pittsburgh Digital Collections Site
Other Posts in this Series
Introduction: Life and Death
Passion & Resurrection Window: Talking about Death
Suffering; Hanging On Before Letting Go; Goodbye
John the Evangelist Window: Considering Our Lives; Possibilities in Times of Grief; Consider This!
Magdalene Window: The Many Faces of Mourning; Grieving, Then and Now; Water: In Life & Death; Resurrection; The Importance of A Face; Welcome As A Blessing
Glorification of the Virgin Window: Dying in Community; Your Soul
Pray with Jill Geoffrion 
I look back more than I would like, too. Sometimes, My normal response is to switch my focus as soon as possible (to be forward looking), but other times, it’s been helpful to look back to fully appreciate what I’ve lost and to understand better why there is so much pain. Sometimes, I don’t know how much I need to grieve my losses and regrets in order to truly be ready to keep my gaze ahead. Thank you for your photos and helpful questions.
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