Loved into the fullness of life

Here is the text of the homily I prepared for the funeral we celebrated today for one of God's beloved disciples.

Funeral homily for Donald Leblanc

Friends and family members have gathered in this place today along with you Edna, Victoria and Richard, to give thanks to God for the gift of your beloved husband and father.  Suzanne could not physically be present with us today, but she is here in spirit, praying with us.

Yesterday, at the funeral home, we gathered around Donald’s mortal remains to utter a short prayer of thanksgiving.  At that time, I asked you to bring to mind reasons for which you would like to thank God for the gift that Donald was to all of you.  Today, we are gathered once again, to commend the soul of our brother into the loving arms of our God.

Donald first began to learn about God when he was brought to the baptismal font and welcomed into the family to which we all belong.  His parents were the first to teach him his catechism and in time they also entrusted his training to the care of religious Brothers who taught at the vocational school where he was a student.  Based on the example he saw in these first teachers Don began to learn about Jesus and about how he was called to be a disciple.

Donald spent the better part of his life working very hard in order to provide for his family.  He taught by example and using words when necessary.  He taught you the value of an honest day’s work, and he taught you to always give your very best efforts toward accomplishing the task at hand.  Throughout his life, I think it would be fair to say that he sought to please God, and in return, God loved him (Wis 4:10).  His soul being found pleasing to the Lord, he has now been taken from among mortals to discover the fullness of God’s love (cf Wis 4:14).

A father and a mother can relate, at least somewhat, to the love God has for His children if they have discovered the bond that unites them to their own offspring, yet the love that God has for us is beyond the limits of human comprehension.  Saint John reminds us that Jesus asks us only to listen to his words, and believe in the One who sent him in order that we should have the reward of eternal life (Jn 5:24).  Our gathering here today is therefore a celebration of great joy, the fulfillment of a life of faith, for Don, who has completed his earthly journey, now hears the voice of the Son of God, and all who hear this voice will live (Jn 5:25).

Even though we ourselves are still on our journey of faith, we know that when we were baptized in Christ Jesus, we were baptized into his death … so that as Christ was raised from the dead … we too are already living a new life (Rom 6:3-4).  We celebrate this new life with great joy whenever we recognize and celebrate his goodness to us, whenever we gather with others of our brothers and sisters in faith around the table of the Eucharist.  Christ himself teaches us through his word that God, our Father is the source of life (Jn 5:26) everlasting life which all of us will one day share with him in heaven.  Having now entered into eternal life, Donald watches over us, ready to help us, to guide us on our way until the day that we too will see God face to face.

Today, let us give thanks for all that we have known and loved about Don, and let us commend him to the love and mercy of the Father who has loved him into the fullness of life.