Be ready and waiting

Here is the reflection I prepared for the service that took place today in memory of a woman who was loved and cherished by many, one who has left us far before her time should have come.

Reflection for the funeral of Mary Clare Whitwell

Mary Clare Whitwell was known, appreciated and loved by many people.  Those of us who have come here today are living witnesses to the many ways in which her life has been intertwined with the lives of others.

Whether she was a colleague, a friend, a daughter, a wife, a mother, a grandmother or a great-grandmother to us, our lives have all been influenced by hers.  Each of us can recall moments of joy that we shared with her, or times when we looked to her for advice, or perhaps occasions when we needed a shoulder to lean on and she was there.  As we recall all of these moments, there is a part of us that perhaps still cannot believe that she will no longer be here among us, able to speak with us, able to laugh with us, able to touch, or hug or love us – not in the way that we have known her.

But there is another story that is being told in our midst: it is a story that began when Mary was born, when her life of faith began, when her life with Jesus began.  This story has existed alongside the story that we have seen unfold throughout her short life.  From the moment that she was brought to the baptismal font, and began to live as a child of God, she has been preparing for this moment: the time when the Lord comes to greet her.

The story is the same for all of us, because just as we learn lessons about life from our parents, our grandparents, and our lived experiences, so too, whether we recognize it or not, we are preparing every day for the day that will come for all of us: the day when our master will return from the wedding feast, and we must be ready and waiting to open the door when he comes and knocks (Lk 12:36).

Today, we are here to give thanks to God for all the moments that we were privileged to share with Mary.  We remember with gratitude all the experiences we have shared, and we pray that the Lord will open the doors of heaven and welcome her into her eternal reward.  Freed from the confines of earthly existence, may her soul now live in the fullness of joy, and may she now watch over all of you, interceding for you and guiding you along the path that you must walk, so that you too will be ready and waiting when the master comes and knocks.