Kennedy Funeral [and 7/31 update]

Am watching the Kennedy funeral. Just watched the arrival of the hearse, and the careful and deliberate choreography of the military guard as they took the coffin from the hearse and carried it, step by lockstep, to the curb, to the church, and up the steps to the great doors. Each step was called out, the flag-covered coffin held with respect, parallel to the ground even as they climbed the stairs.

They moved into the middle aisle, now with the cardinal and the clergy in attendance, and the pallbearers gathered loosely around. With slow, precise moves the guard removed and then folded the flag, turn by turn by turn, passing it one to the next. Their job finished, they pivoted and filed out to the side, their orderly exit parting the crowd.

The chronos of order steps out. Yet, before the kairos of liturgy begins, one last gesture:

Senator Edward M. Kennedy, 1932-2009

Boston Globe obituary, this morning:

He was the youngest child of a famous family, but his legacy derived from quiet subcommittee meetings, conference reports, and markup sessions. The result of his efforts meant hospital care for a grandmother, a federal loan for a working college student, or a better wage for a dishwasher.

May he rest in peace.