Depart, O Christian soul, out of this world;

In the Name of God the Father Almighty who created you; In the Name of Jesus Christ who redeemed you; In the Name of the Holy Spirit who sanctifies you. May your rest be this day in peace, and your dwelling place in the Paradise of God. (BCP p. 464).

This prayer is most appropriate for today, as we just celebrated on Sunday what is known to Christians as Trinity Sunday. Trinity Sunday puts before us the mystery of the one God in three persons -- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

As we gather here to mourn the death of N., this same mystery is held up before us today: the mystery of God the Creator, God the Redeemer, and God the Sanctifier. Let us come, then, once again, in this hour of loss and sadness, in the words of Cecil Frances Alexander, to "bi…