Lych is the Saxon word for corpse. A lychgate then is the covered gate of the cemetery where the casket is laid down and the first prayers of the committal service are prayed. The lychgate sometimes has a bench where we might catch our breath or gather our thoughts. The roof serves as protection for mourners who might need to come out of the rain. It is sometimes called The Resurrection Gate.
But more than that, I see the lychgate as symbolic of transition. We are always in transition: living through the four seasons, graduation and diplomas, moving from a life threatening illness to wellness, surviving a divorce and creating a new life, the empty house after grown children have moved away, moving from one's home to a senior or nursing home facility. These are all transitions from this to that, from here to there. I see transitions as opportunities for our evolution. As a Christian I want to acknowledge those transitions which have helped to grow-me-up in Christ.
You can add to this little litany of Transition as you become aware of them in your own life...
Thank you, O God for
The transition of my birth,
The transition of Baptism and First Communion days,
The transition of my being introduced to the person of Jesus Christ,
The transition of being taught my childhood prayers,
The transition of my first hearing the Christmas story.
Thank you, O God for
The transition of my first setting up of the manger,
The transition of my first May Crowning,
The transition of my schooling, my learning to read, of any teacher who was transformative,
The transition of any experience I would call survival,
The transition of moving from mistaken thinking to what's better for myself and others.
Thank you, O God for
The transition of some sin being forgiven and living free,
The transition of my desire to live a graced life,
The transition of choosing mercy and compassion as a life-way,
The transition of knowing love in my life — love given; love received,
The transition of life-changing decisions or experiences.
Thank you, O God for
The transition of coming to the realization of my inner gifts,
The transition of recognizing God's nearness,
The transition of coming to know I am God's dear child,
The transition of living in the atmosphere Mary creates around Christ,
The transition of my dying and my waking up to see the face of God in Christ.
