Hearing these things for the first time, a traditional Evangelical would be shaking. Maybe a traditional Catholic or a member of another Christian churches would respond in a same way. An anatomical table is really not a picture, representing
a place we would desire for our body after the death. And a stranger sight, watching the most intimate wrinkles of our body, seems to be even more undesirable. But to have the educated physicians, who would posses a great experience and practice, is commonly desired. However, not everything can be studied on the living people. Nor any model or maquette, regardless to its quality, can substitute a real human body. Not only teachers of anatomy, but also students (what is very encouraging to me) are therefore thankful to the donors of bodies. Students are passing through the anatomical rooms directly at the beginning of their study, meeting the secret and raw face of the death, that are to accompany them in their work, escaping sometimes for the physicians proficiency and God-s decision, but humbling them otherwhile by the temporary victory over the earthly life.

Those young people in the church were actually students of the first year at the Charles University First School of Medicine. ľ The people, humble in presence of majesty of the death, but also in presence of the Victor over the death, our Lord Jesus. Those old people were relatives of the donors, who had decided to have no grave, and, even after the death, to give away everything remaining in their possession, their body. We, the Evangelicals, are not used to serve the requiem for our dead ones. We know that our Lord God will take a good care for us, whether we would end in the expensive sepulcher or in the hole of a mass grave. He will surely care as well for those, who will not settle in any grave, at all. But the service of the Word, as every other church service, is to provide the encouragement and strengthening for the living ones, and to glorify the Lord God. Such services will never be celebrated too often, to give us a reason to say, "enough, no more services needed."

The service was held by the Catholic pastor Tomáš Vlasák (known more for his work among prisoners). One of the students had read the well-known words of John-s Gospel (John 14:1-7) describing our way, heading, in spite of the earthly death, to our God Father which is in heaven.

Dr. Zdenýk Susa, the presbyter ordained in the ČCE, teaching at the Charles University First School of Medicine, has held an explanation of the Bible section Luke 21:16-19:

"And ye shall be betrayed both by parents, and brethren, and kinsfolks, and friends; and [some] of you shall they cause to be put to death. And ye shall be hated of all [men] for my name-s sake. But there shall not a hair of your head perish. In your patience possess ye your souls." His explanation became a great encouragement not only for the bereaved, but also for those, who are dealing with the donated bodies during their study, as well as for many brothers and sisters of not only a Catholic faith. The quoted promise of Christ has brought up the assurance that the way of settlement of the body after the death does not influence a gift of Christ-s mercy, which is the eternal life.

During the one hour service, several students had also confessed, how they had been influenced by the fresh experience of the anatomical practices for their future work. The individual contributions were separated by the assembly singing the songs chosen of those, known to both Evangelicals and Catholics. Also those, who are not used to attend a church regularly, were singing together.

I was leaving the evening meeting in the God-s presence, being pleased by words of Jesus Christ, as well as by realization that the surrounding world is not as entirely cynical and indifferent, as we were tending to consider. Especially the young world which will be forming the beginning century.