Several points:
A) It seems to me we ought to feel it. It reminds me of the line, "A sword shall pierce thy own heart also," which is about Mary (evidently the Catholics call her BVM; I saw it in a hymnal). So if Mary hadn't been grieved and anguished, we would have wondered what was wrong, even though with Christ's death the possibility for redemption became real. Even though those who die in grace are with the Lord/in purgatory, it is right for us to grieve.
B) Grieving away from home is just another instance of the evil of being away from home. Trying to sort through your grief over someone with absolutely no one nearby who knew that person is a very difficult task (of course moderated by fabulous friends who listen well!).
C) The difference between communal grief and private grief is striking. William Buckley's death, for instance, was mourned many people I know (this gives away the political persuasion of my acquaintances), some of whom were seriously dismayed. I was with an acquaintance of mine when he heard of Buckley's death. He got noticeably upset and put his head down on his desk. But he didn't know Buckley. Does it even make sense to grieve, then?
1 comment:
on B):
Very true. Also, grieving by one's self makes it much easier to fall into a self-pitying kind of grief, I think, as opposed to grieving with others (who are also in grief, having suffered the same loss), and especially doing so in that person's place, which is healthier and more fitting.
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