FUNERAL HOMILY FOR
LUELLA NORMAN
It started with a phone call
last week … well, to be honest, there were probably a number of phone calls
made to the parish office before the messages got to where they needed to. One thing led to another, and before I
realized it, I was standing in the hallways of Eastholme in Powassan. Actually, I arrived at the north elevators at
about the same time as Roseanne and some of the other girls were arriving for
shift change.
That was my first encounter,
and as it turns out I’ve had a few other moments to meet and chat with Luella’s
children, some of her grandchildren and the rest of her family. Today, we bring this lady, one of the
pioneers of Saint Peter the Apostle, back home to the church she has attended
for most of her 88 years here on earth.
Here, within these walls, and at the other building that once served as
the gathering place and place of prayer for the pioneers of this parish, Luella
came to pray. In times of great
celebration and in times of trial, she knelt in these pews.
Even as I was being introduced
to her children last week, they were already telling me that she had taught
them all how to pray the rosary, and I could only imagine that this prayer of
popular piety was only one of the ways in which she modeled her faith for the
benefit of so many. You see, for people
of faith, it is not the achievements of this life that will be remembered, so
much as it is the kindnesses we have shown, the love we have shared and the
dedication we have demonstrated which will remain in the memories of those who
come after us. We do all this, following
the example of Jesus himself who came among us to show us the depth of the
Father’s love.
God’s love for each of us
knows no bounds. In fact, to demonstrate
it to us, Jesus gave his very life, like a
grain of wheat that falls in the ground and dies so that it can yield a rich
harvest. I only met this woman a few
days ago, but you have had the privilege to witness the ways in which she gave
of herself, allowing herself to die to self so that the rich harvest of her
love could be known. This love was shown
equally to the many friends who worked closely with her on so many CWL projects
and in so many other ways within this vibrant community of faith. It is thanks to her efforts and to those of
her contemporaries that we today enjoy the many gifts that continue to be identified
and nurtured within this parish.
At the centre of her life was
the discipline of prayer. In the
intimacy of that conversation with God, she celebrated and gave thanks on the
day of her wedding, and during the many years she was blessed to share with her
husband Harry, and certainly she celebrated and gave thanks for each of her
children. As time went on, she also
rejoiced as each of her grandchildren and great grandchildren came along. How often was she present to celebrate with
you the days of great and joyful happiness: baptisms, weddings, birthdays and
anniversaries?
She was also present to so
many others at moments when they needed consolation and hope: when some were
faced with medical challenges, and when others needed to be reminded of the
consolation of faith especially as we mourn the loss of friends and loved
ones. Faith is tested at such moments,
but faith when tested always grows stronger if we truly believe that death is
but a doorway into eternity. All of us
will one day knock at this door, and when it is opened, our faith teaches us
that we will be welcomed into the fullness of life. In order to convince us of this truth, Jesus
himself suffered, died and rose again. Remember that last part: he rose again! Because of that, it will be the same for
Luella, and it will be the same for all of us who have died in Jesus. God
will bring us with him to heaven, and we will be with him forever. As people of faith, let us give thanks this
day for the gifts and graces that we have known in the life of Luella Norman,
and let us pray for the grace to continue living the promise of resurrection
for the benefit of those we are yet to meet.
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