Today, I presided at the funeral of a woman who for many years was involved in many ways in the life of her local parish. Now that she has returned to the Father, we joined our voices to ask the Lord to welcome her home.
This morning, friends and family of our sister Dale have gathered in this church, in this place where she herself came so often to pray, in order to thank God for the gift of her life. Nine decades ago, God granted her the gift of life; today we commend her soul into the hands of that same Father who now welcomes her into Eternal life.
It is fitting that we should hold this celebration in a church, in God’s house. The prophet Isaiah tells us that in God’s presence, the Lord God will prepare a banquet of rich food. This divine banquet is foretold in the Eucharist that we share in this place, a preparation for the banquet that promises to satisfy our deepest longing. Even as we await the banquet that is to come, the food that we receive at this table gives us strength for our souls so that we can share the good news that we have heard with those we meet.
Having been entrusted with the gift of faith on the day of her baptism, and having learned about Jesus through the words and example of her parents, Dale endeavoured every day of her life to share the good news that she had discovered. What is this good news that she knew? It is the gift of hope, a hope that is not deceptive. Too many times, we look for hope in the wrong places. We hope for things, we hope for things we can see and feel and touch, and we pay little if any attention to the true hope that is born out of love, yet this is precisely the gift that is offered to us by Jesus. Jesus came to live on this earth so that he could show us that we can indeed trust in the love of God: it is a love that endures, a love on which we can rely.
In our family settings, in our parish communities, in our work places, among our friends and even in our leisure activities, we should never forget the love that accompanies us, the love that fills us with joy: not the joy that is expressed in laughter, but the joy of true contentment, the joy of knowing that we are loved, deeply loved. If we strive every day to live this earthly life by the light of this love, we will quickly find ourselves compelled to tell others about the source of our joy, the reason for our hope.
When the time came for Jesus to leave his disciples, and return to the Father, he knew that they would be worried and he wanted to remind them that they could always hope. So too, Jesus reminds us today: Do not let your hearts be troubled. Dale’s earthly life may now be complete, but we rejoice in hope today because for her, the fullness of life in God’s presence is only begun. Here on earth, she was concerned for the wellbeing of those she loved; from her place in the Father’s house, she now prays for us, watches over us, protects us and awaits the day when we too will be reunited with her in the kingdom of God. There we will know the fullness of joy. There we will partake in the celestial banquet that is prepared for us.
Funeral homily for Delia (Dale) Edwards
This morning, friends and family of our sister Dale have gathered in this church, in this place where she herself came so often to pray, in order to thank God for the gift of her life. Nine decades ago, God granted her the gift of life; today we commend her soul into the hands of that same Father who now welcomes her into Eternal life.
It is fitting that we should hold this celebration in a church, in God’s house. The prophet Isaiah tells us that in God’s presence, the Lord God will prepare a banquet of rich food. This divine banquet is foretold in the Eucharist that we share in this place, a preparation for the banquet that promises to satisfy our deepest longing. Even as we await the banquet that is to come, the food that we receive at this table gives us strength for our souls so that we can share the good news that we have heard with those we meet.
Having been entrusted with the gift of faith on the day of her baptism, and having learned about Jesus through the words and example of her parents, Dale endeavoured every day of her life to share the good news that she had discovered. What is this good news that she knew? It is the gift of hope, a hope that is not deceptive. Too many times, we look for hope in the wrong places. We hope for things, we hope for things we can see and feel and touch, and we pay little if any attention to the true hope that is born out of love, yet this is precisely the gift that is offered to us by Jesus. Jesus came to live on this earth so that he could show us that we can indeed trust in the love of God: it is a love that endures, a love on which we can rely.
In our family settings, in our parish communities, in our work places, among our friends and even in our leisure activities, we should never forget the love that accompanies us, the love that fills us with joy: not the joy that is expressed in laughter, but the joy of true contentment, the joy of knowing that we are loved, deeply loved. If we strive every day to live this earthly life by the light of this love, we will quickly find ourselves compelled to tell others about the source of our joy, the reason for our hope.
When the time came for Jesus to leave his disciples, and return to the Father, he knew that they would be worried and he wanted to remind them that they could always hope. So too, Jesus reminds us today: Do not let your hearts be troubled. Dale’s earthly life may now be complete, but we rejoice in hope today because for her, the fullness of life in God’s presence is only begun. Here on earth, she was concerned for the wellbeing of those she loved; from her place in the Father’s house, she now prays for us, watches over us, protects us and awaits the day when we too will be reunited with her in the kingdom of God. There we will know the fullness of joy. There we will partake in the celestial banquet that is prepared for us.
No comments:
Post a Comment