I have fought the good fight

Here is the text of the homily I prepared for the funeral we celebrated today, a gathering of faith in celebration of a woman who is now in the presence of our loving God.

Funeral homily for Odile Taché

This morning, we are here with the family of our dear sister Odile.  We come to give thanks for the gifts we have been given: the gift of knowing and loving our sister; the gift of having the opportunity to learn from her; the gift of faith that has been entrusted to us.

Our faith teaches us that Jesus, our brother, came to this earth - a gift from God - in order to live among us.  We believe that he died for us (Rom 5:6) for no other reason than because God loved us.  God has always loved us, God has always loved every one of his sons and daughters.  He shows his love to us through other people who he places in our lives, people like Odile.

When she meets Jesus, she will hear his voice speaking directly to her: Come, you who my father has blessed, take for your heritage the kingdom prepared for you since the foundation of the world (Mt 25:34).  Will she be surprised by such words?  Even the most exemplary among us seem to know our shortcomings more than our virtues, yet God sees them all and recognizes the ways in which we have tried to do good for others.  Sometimes, our acts of kindness are publicly known, but most of the time they are hidden, wordless prayers that we offer to our God.  He sees them, he welcomes them, he recognizes in them the fruits of a life of faith and trust.

How many times did she welcome a stranger who knocked at her door, or how many times did she hear someone say: I am hungry ... and find something for that person to eat ... whether she knew that person or not?  Did she ever give some of her own clothing to someone else who had need of it?  How often did she visit with someone who was hurting, troubled, lost, in need of guidance? In every act of kindness, it is Christ himself who is asking for help.  When all is said and done, and this life of ours has come to an end, we might rightly respond by admitting that we did not truly recognize him, but his response will be the same: insofar as you did this for the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did it for me (Mt 25:40).

Even as she hears the voice of God, I wonder whether she will not also hear the testimony of Saint Michael the Archangel, the one who stands guard over all of God’s people, protecting us whenever we have to face times of great trial and distress (cf Dan 12:1).  We know that she faced great physical challenges, but few of us might know of the inner struggles she faced, all the while trusting that Michael and the other angels were never far away, always at work protecting her and helping her.  Even in her final hours, she asked for the Sacraments of the Church, and from all accounts, it seems that they brought peace to her soul.

Those of us who will soon leave this church and return to the regular routines of our lives should not do so without first taking a moment to be thankful for the life we have shared with our sister.  We have all been entrusted with the hope of eternal life which we will spend with our Father in heaven, to a time when many of those who lie sleeping in the earth will awaken to everlasting life (Dan 1:2) and know the fullness of joy in His presence.  Let us therefore strive every day to live our lives as examples of love for the sake of others, so that our words and our example of service to others might shine like bright stars for all eternity (Dan 1:3).