Here is the text of the homily I shared during the funeral Mass that was celebrated today for a woman who was well known and respected in this community.
We have assembled here this morning in order to surround Bill and his family with our presence, and to offer them our consolation and our prayers. Together, we have taken this moment to pray for our sister Lorrie. Many of you know even better than I do that she arrived here almost sixty years ago. You know about the many years she spent working for the North Shore Board of Education and you know about the many hours she spent on the golf course and at the curling rink. Perhaps you can recall the day she met Bill; maybe you were present on the day they were married, and maybe you can even recall the day when their beautiful daughters were born.
A few days ago, I had a chance to ask Bill, Shirley and Sharon to tell me about Lorrie. They told me that she never thought of herself as the athletic type, yet once she set her mind to something, she was very determined to give her all. This was true of her in many aspects including her involvement with obedience school for canines, and in more recent years, her involvement with therapy dogs, including her own Kiki.
Knowing that she was such a vibrant presence in this city for so long, it might seem strange for us to be gathered here today. In a real sense, it seems that this virtuous woman ... has died before her time (cf Wis 4:7). Many others have lived to a greater age than she has, yet now she has been carried off to live forever in heaven. We may still be asking questions, trying to understand why all this has happened. As the writer of the Book of Wisdom says: we look on uncomprehending, because we cannot comprehend these things with any measure of human reasoning. It takes faith in order to grasp what is truly happening here: grace and mercy await the chosen of the Lord (Wis 4:15). Our faith teaches us that she is now with God in heaven, where she has encountered the fullness of his grace, where she knows the fullness of the protection he promises to his beloved children.
Lorraine had a bucket list, adventures that she wanted to experience, and she managed to complete that list even despite the progressions of the disease that continually sought to encircle her and limit her capacities. It has not been easy for those who have been closest to her to watch as her freedom, her determination and her horizons continued to shrink. Therefore, at this moment, it might truly be difficult for us to hear the words that Jesus speaks to us. As he reassured his disciples, he also repeats today: My dear children, do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God and trust in me (Jn 14:1). Lorrie is no longer physically present to us. We will no longer be able to hear her voice, but the Lord is very much present to us in this moment, reassuring us and encouraging our hearts.
Trusting in this promise that has been made, we remember that Jesus died too. We remember the story that has been told and retold in this place. It is at moments such as these that the words we heard read aloud hold a particular significance: we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and that it will be the same for those who have died in Jesus (1 Thes 4:14). Our sister Lorraine no longer lives among mortals, but may she live forever in the presence of our God.
Funeral homily for Lorraine Ouimet
We have assembled here this morning in order to surround Bill and his family with our presence, and to offer them our consolation and our prayers. Together, we have taken this moment to pray for our sister Lorrie. Many of you know even better than I do that she arrived here almost sixty years ago. You know about the many years she spent working for the North Shore Board of Education and you know about the many hours she spent on the golf course and at the curling rink. Perhaps you can recall the day she met Bill; maybe you were present on the day they were married, and maybe you can even recall the day when their beautiful daughters were born.
A few days ago, I had a chance to ask Bill, Shirley and Sharon to tell me about Lorrie. They told me that she never thought of herself as the athletic type, yet once she set her mind to something, she was very determined to give her all. This was true of her in many aspects including her involvement with obedience school for canines, and in more recent years, her involvement with therapy dogs, including her own Kiki.
Knowing that she was such a vibrant presence in this city for so long, it might seem strange for us to be gathered here today. In a real sense, it seems that this virtuous woman ... has died before her time (cf Wis 4:7). Many others have lived to a greater age than she has, yet now she has been carried off to live forever in heaven. We may still be asking questions, trying to understand why all this has happened. As the writer of the Book of Wisdom says: we look on uncomprehending, because we cannot comprehend these things with any measure of human reasoning. It takes faith in order to grasp what is truly happening here: grace and mercy await the chosen of the Lord (Wis 4:15). Our faith teaches us that she is now with God in heaven, where she has encountered the fullness of his grace, where she knows the fullness of the protection he promises to his beloved children.
Lorraine had a bucket list, adventures that she wanted to experience, and she managed to complete that list even despite the progressions of the disease that continually sought to encircle her and limit her capacities. It has not been easy for those who have been closest to her to watch as her freedom, her determination and her horizons continued to shrink. Therefore, at this moment, it might truly be difficult for us to hear the words that Jesus speaks to us. As he reassured his disciples, he also repeats today: My dear children, do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God and trust in me (Jn 14:1). Lorrie is no longer physically present to us. We will no longer be able to hear her voice, but the Lord is very much present to us in this moment, reassuring us and encouraging our hearts.
Trusting in this promise that has been made, we remember that Jesus died too. We remember the story that has been told and retold in this place. It is at moments such as these that the words we heard read aloud hold a particular significance: we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and that it will be the same for those who have died in Jesus (1 Thes 4:14). Our sister Lorraine no longer lives among mortals, but may she live forever in the presence of our God.
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