Farewell to a World War II veteran

Here is the text of the homily I prepared for the funeral celebration which took place earlier today in honour of one of our parishioners who once served as a Navigator in the Royal Canadian Air Force and who dedicated his life to the world of education and sport.

Funeral homily for Arthur Leo Paul Meloche

Queridos amigos, tenemos que hablar juntos, por un tiempo.
Dear friends, we need to speak now, for just awhile.

Chers amis, bien-aimés de Dieu et bien-aimé de notre frère Leo, nous nous sommes réunis en cette église ce matin, là où Léo venait chaque semaine afin d’écouter la Parole du Seigneur, là où il venait chercher le pain de la vie éternelle.  Nous sommes ici ce matin afin d’offrir une prière pour le salut de son âme et en même temps pour offrir une geste de consolation aux membres de sa famille: ses fils, ses filles, ses frères, ses soeurs et ses petis-enfants.

Dear friends, beloved of God and beloved of our brother Leo, we have gathered here in this church this morning, where Leo used to come each Sunday to listen to the Word of God, where he would seek out the bread of eternal life.  We are here this morning to offer a prayer for the salvation of his soul and also to offer our consolation to the members of his family: his sons, his daughters, his brothers, his sisters and his grandchildren.

People who regularly come to this parish may have recognized Leo’s face, but did you know that he had such a rich history?  Did you know that he once served as a Navigator in the Royal Canadian Air Force, or that he worked for many years in the field of education, or that he travelled extensively both for work and for pleasure?  Did you know that he read continually, and that he was highly sought after by teachers who would invite him to share his experiences of wartime with students in our schools, but that he never missed a day of swimming and always found time for some yoga?  All of these facets were known to God, loved by God and cherished by God.

My own involvement with the Knights of Columbus has given me opportunity to meet Leo, and I believe that it was in that context of fraternity that I discovered some of the details of his life, but he was always rather quiet about his own accomplishments, until you got him one on one and began to ask the right questions.  It’s the same with many of us: we see one another from week to week, we sing together and pray together, and yet although we may recognize many faces, we rarely have the time to discover the story that lies beneath the exterior.  Not so with Leo.  Whenever he could, he would take as much time as he needed to listen attentively as new stories were recounted: stories of people’s lives, stories of their successes and challenges. He was always ready to listen, and this quality made it possible on many occasions for him to seek out possibilities for settling disputes and disagreements with a level of tact that is sometimes difficult to find.  In a sense, you might say that Leo never had favorites or took sides without listening first to both sides of a given situation.

In the excerpt from the Acts of the Apostles which we heard today, Saint Peter says that God (too) does not have favorites … but everyone who does what is right is acceptable to him (Acts 10:34).  Leo was a man of devotion: he was devoted to his beloved wife, he was devoted to his family, he was devoted to his work, and he was devoted to the world of sport, and he was devoted to his faith.  Having spent a lifetime devoted to the world of education, he would be pleased to know that the readings chosen for the celebration of his funeral all place emphasis on teaching others the truths of our faith.

Saint Peter had lived with Jesus and with the other disciples.  Therefore he was uniquely qualified to teach others about his own experience.  The words of today’s second reading were spoken by him when he was having a conversation with Cornelius and others in his household.  He spoke from first-hand experience about who Jesus was, about the miracles he performed, about the words he had spoken, and he spoke about Jesus’ crucifixion, but he also added the fact that three days afterward, God raised him to life, and allowed him to be seen … by certain witnesses (Acts 10:40-41).  How Leo would have relished the possibility of being seated in Cornelius’ house that day!  How many times did he find himself in a similar situation: listening to the wisdom that was offered by others who had come to visit and to share a part of their lived history with him?

Chers amis, nous nous trouvons tous parfois dans des circomstances semblables.  Même pendant ces jours qui viennent, il se peut que vous vous trouviez parmis des amis qui voudront parler au sujet de leurs souvenirs de Léo.  Prends le temps qu’il vous faut pour échanger ces histoires, mais n’oubliez pas de laissez également un peu de temps pour que vous puissiez partager la sagesse ne notre foi chrétienne.

Dear friends, we all find ourselves at times in similar circumstances.  Even in the days that lie ahead, you may find yourselves among friends who want to speak about their memories of Leo.  Take the time that you need to exchange the stories, but never forget to also leave a bit of time to share the wisdom of our Christian faith too with those you encounter.

In the moments when you find it difficult to believe that Leo no longer lives among mortals, remember that Jesus is always close to us, always saying to us: Do not let your hearts be troubled.  Trust in God still and trust in me (John 14:1).  Even at times when we are slow to believe, like the apostle Thomas, Jesus is always present to us, gently reminding us: I am the way, the truth and the life (John 14:6), and the souls of the virtuous I hold gently in my hands, so that no torment shall ever touch them … they are at peace now, for I have welcomed them into the fullness of life which was promised to them on the day of their Baptism.

In the Father’s house, once more united with his parents, his beloved wife Claire and his sisters Yvonne and Anne-Marie, Leo now watches over you and waits for the day when we too will complete our earthly journeys and enter into our Father’s house.