A funeral is a rite of passage in the Catholic Church that marks the end of a person’s earthly life and their entrance into eternal life. The Catholic funeral is a celebration of the person’s life and faith, and it is an opportunity for the Church to pray for the person’s soul and to offer support to the bereaved. The Catholic funeral includes a Mass, which is a liturgical celebration of the Eucharist that includes prayers, hymns, and a homily (a sermon). The Mass is typically followed by a burial or a cremation. During the funeral, the body of the deceased is present and is typically displayed in a casket. The Catholic Church teaches that the funeral is an opportunity to offer the deceased the prayers and suffrages of the Church and to commend them to the mercy of God. The funeral is also an opportunity for the living to express their grief, to seek comfort, and to find hope in the resurrection of the body and the life of the world to come.