Here is the text of the reflection I prepared for the celebration of the funeral Mass, during which we commended the soul of God's servant into his loving embrace.
La famille de notre frère Denis se trouve en deuil. En ce moment, il ne nous reste que des souvenirs, mais il faut dire que nous en avons des bons: nous nous rappelons des temps de joie que nous avons vécus avec lui – les occasions où nous avons entendu son rire, et d’autres moments où son coeur dansait (cf Ecc 3:4). Cert, il y avait d’autres temps où il s’inquiétait mais ceux-là étaient plutôt râre.
The family of our brother Denis is in mourning. At this moment, all we have are memories, but we must admit that there are good memories: we can recall joyful experiences that we have shared with him - times when we heard his laughter, and times when his heart danced (cf Ecc 3:4). Of course, there were other times too, where he was worried, but these were rare.
Having spent the first part of his life on a farm, Denis learned the value of an honest day’s work, and having been part of a family which by today’s standards would be characterized as large, he also learned the value of self-giving. Honesty and generosity were gifts he honed not only among his family, who loved him deeply, but also toward his customers and all those who had the pleasure of encountering him in any one of a number of other venues.
Au coeur de sa vie, Denis était toujours attentif aux autres, Dieu inclus. Je suis certain qu’il a toujours eu connaissance du Seigneur, dès son enfance, et cela grâce à l’example de ses chers parents. C’est eux d’abord qui l’ont introduit à la personne de Jésus, et c’est d’après leur example d’amour et de foi qu’à grandi en lui le désir d’approfondir sa propre connaissance de Jésus, de sa mère qui est notre mère et de la promesse du royaume qui nous attend.
Throughout his life, Denis was always aware of others, including God. I am sure that he was always aware of the Lord, from the time of his childhood, and this was thanks to the example that he saw in his beloved parents. They were the first ones to teach him about of Jesus, and it was by following their example of love and faith that he himself developed the desire to deepen his own awareness of Jesus, his acquaintance with Mary, the mother of Jesus and our mother, and where he learned to trust in the promise of the kingdom of heaven that awaits us.
This knowledge of heavenly things was nourished daily through his own prayer, and evidenced to others by his gift of eternal optimism, even when he was confronted with the increasing ravages of leukemia. How many times, even before the onset of this disease, had he paused in prayer? How often had he, like Nicodemus, sought out the Lord and allowed him to instruct his heart? Even in these latter years, I am certain that he followed the instructions given by Jesus, looking to him who was lifted up on his cross (cf Jn 3:14). Like us, he too had heard the words of Jesus: God so loved the world that he gave his only-begotten Son, so that everyone who believes in him may … have eternal life (Jn 3:16). There is deep abiding truth in these words, truth that is the source of hope for all those who believe. This is the reason why we are gathered here this morning: we believe these words, and we believe that the gift of eternal life is the prize that has been awarded to our brother Denis.
Le Seigneur nous a confié une privilège très spéciale le jour même de notre baptême. À nous de partager la bonne nouvelle que nous avons apprise, spécialement celle qui concerne ceux qui sont décédés. Bien qu’il faille admettre le vide qui habite nos coeur, nous ne sommes pas triste comme s’il n’y avait pas d’espérance (1 Thes 4:13). En effet, puisque nous croyons que Jésus est mort et ressuscité, Dieu ramènera Denis ainsi que tous ceux et celles qui sont morts jusqu’aux cieux: en son royaume où nous vivrons pour l’éternité en Sa présence.
The Lord entrusted each one of us with a truly special privilege on the day of our baptism. It is up to us to share the good news that we have discovered, especially the good news concerning those who have died. Even though we must admit that our hearts are broken, we are not sad as though there were no hope (1 Thes 4:13). In fact, since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, we know that God will take Denis and all those who have died to live with him in heaven: in his kingdom where we will live for all eternity in his presence.
Therefore, this is not the end for Denis. It is only the beginning. From now on, he will watch over us, like he watched over and loved every one of you, but even more tenderly; from now on, he will intercede for us, taking our prayers to the throne of God and begging Him to grant us the grace to live fruitful lives, secure in the knowledge that we are His precious children. From now on, Denis will guide our steps as we journey through this earthly life, keeping us always aware of others who are in need of our help and showing us that we have it within our means to respond to their needs: to feed those who are hungry with the food of our hope; to quench the thirst of those who are seeking by sharing with them the joy that is in our hearts; and by opening our hearts to share the journey of those who feel as though they must walk through life alone, so that through our example and our words, we may bear witness to the truth that we ourselves have come to know: when our earthly lives have come to an end, we will be caught up in the clouds … and we will be with the Lord forever (1 Thes 4:17).
Funeral homily for Denis Plante
The family of our brother Denis is in mourning. At this moment, all we have are memories, but we must admit that there are good memories: we can recall joyful experiences that we have shared with him - times when we heard his laughter, and times when his heart danced (cf Ecc 3:4). Of course, there were other times too, where he was worried, but these were rare.
Having spent the first part of his life on a farm, Denis learned the value of an honest day’s work, and having been part of a family which by today’s standards would be characterized as large, he also learned the value of self-giving. Honesty and generosity were gifts he honed not only among his family, who loved him deeply, but also toward his customers and all those who had the pleasure of encountering him in any one of a number of other venues.
Au coeur de sa vie, Denis était toujours attentif aux autres, Dieu inclus. Je suis certain qu’il a toujours eu connaissance du Seigneur, dès son enfance, et cela grâce à l’example de ses chers parents. C’est eux d’abord qui l’ont introduit à la personne de Jésus, et c’est d’après leur example d’amour et de foi qu’à grandi en lui le désir d’approfondir sa propre connaissance de Jésus, de sa mère qui est notre mère et de la promesse du royaume qui nous attend.
Throughout his life, Denis was always aware of others, including God. I am sure that he was always aware of the Lord, from the time of his childhood, and this was thanks to the example that he saw in his beloved parents. They were the first ones to teach him about of Jesus, and it was by following their example of love and faith that he himself developed the desire to deepen his own awareness of Jesus, his acquaintance with Mary, the mother of Jesus and our mother, and where he learned to trust in the promise of the kingdom of heaven that awaits us.
This knowledge of heavenly things was nourished daily through his own prayer, and evidenced to others by his gift of eternal optimism, even when he was confronted with the increasing ravages of leukemia. How many times, even before the onset of this disease, had he paused in prayer? How often had he, like Nicodemus, sought out the Lord and allowed him to instruct his heart? Even in these latter years, I am certain that he followed the instructions given by Jesus, looking to him who was lifted up on his cross (cf Jn 3:14). Like us, he too had heard the words of Jesus: God so loved the world that he gave his only-begotten Son, so that everyone who believes in him may … have eternal life (Jn 3:16). There is deep abiding truth in these words, truth that is the source of hope for all those who believe. This is the reason why we are gathered here this morning: we believe these words, and we believe that the gift of eternal life is the prize that has been awarded to our brother Denis.
Le Seigneur nous a confié une privilège très spéciale le jour même de notre baptême. À nous de partager la bonne nouvelle que nous avons apprise, spécialement celle qui concerne ceux qui sont décédés. Bien qu’il faille admettre le vide qui habite nos coeur, nous ne sommes pas triste comme s’il n’y avait pas d’espérance (1 Thes 4:13). En effet, puisque nous croyons que Jésus est mort et ressuscité, Dieu ramènera Denis ainsi que tous ceux et celles qui sont morts jusqu’aux cieux: en son royaume où nous vivrons pour l’éternité en Sa présence.
The Lord entrusted each one of us with a truly special privilege on the day of our baptism. It is up to us to share the good news that we have discovered, especially the good news concerning those who have died. Even though we must admit that our hearts are broken, we are not sad as though there were no hope (1 Thes 4:13). In fact, since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, we know that God will take Denis and all those who have died to live with him in heaven: in his kingdom where we will live for all eternity in his presence.
Therefore, this is not the end for Denis. It is only the beginning. From now on, he will watch over us, like he watched over and loved every one of you, but even more tenderly; from now on, he will intercede for us, taking our prayers to the throne of God and begging Him to grant us the grace to live fruitful lives, secure in the knowledge that we are His precious children. From now on, Denis will guide our steps as we journey through this earthly life, keeping us always aware of others who are in need of our help and showing us that we have it within our means to respond to their needs: to feed those who are hungry with the food of our hope; to quench the thirst of those who are seeking by sharing with them the joy that is in our hearts; and by opening our hearts to share the journey of those who feel as though they must walk through life alone, so that through our example and our words, we may bear witness to the truth that we ourselves have come to know: when our earthly lives have come to an end, we will be caught up in the clouds … and we will be with the Lord forever (1 Thes 4:17).
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