The Spiritual Energy of Baptism and Burial
Homily (Extended) for David MacNair's Funeral
April 21, 2024
Homily (Extended) for David MacNair's Funeral
April 21, 2024
Brief “Homily” at Announcement Time
Sunday, April 21,2024
One Day After David MacNair’s Funeral
Thank you for all who helped yesterday at David’s funeral: Donna, David B., Martha, Karen, Daryl and Ashley, among others.
Several have remarked to me about the good “energy” they felt at the funeral yesterday. Perhaps you noticed that yesterday’s energy was much like the energy at the Baptisms of Jess and Amelia at the Easter Vigil? It comes as no surprise that the “energy” of these two liturgies should feel similar because the two events are closely related – in each, the Good Shepherd was leading faithful disciples in and out to find pasture (John 10:9): at Jess’ and Amelia’s Baptisms, leading them into the Church, even calling his sheep by name (John 10:3) – “I baptize you, Amelia…” “I baptize you, Jess…;” and yesterday the Good Shepherd led David out,taking “David to himself, so that where he is, there David may be also” (see John 14:3). The “energy” we felt at each of the liturgies was the presence of the Good Shepherd leading faithful sheep.
I encourage us to remember this feeling of the Good Shepherd that we felt, this consolation of “grace upon grace” (John 1:16), because being Jesus’ disciple is not always easy. Sometimes the gate is narrow and the road is hard that leads to life (Matt 7:14); sometimes we are called to watch and wait with Jesus, and we –like the disciples in the garden – are tempted to become drowsy and to fall asleep (Mark 14:37-41); and sometimes, if we would be his disciple, Jesus calls us to take up our cross and follow (Mark 8:34). So maybe try to remember the consoling “energy” of these two liturgies,and let it sustain us in difficult times.
And it could be that we are about to enter a difficult time. We made it through David’s funeral; now, the hard work of grief begins. A helpful rule of thumb for grief is: allow ourselves to feel whatever we need to feel and for as long as we need to feel it. Grief cannot be rushed. Might we, in the weeks and months to come, remember that each of us is grieving David and in our own way? Might we make allowances for and “go easy” on each other? And also go easy on ourselves? The work of grief is difficult work, and each of us has our own way with and our own timeline for grief. And, as always, we will be helped in prayer. Jesus knows grief – he is “a man of sorrows acquainted with grief,” as Isaiah wrote (Is 53:3) – and he does not wish for us to be overwhelmed by grief, but will provide a way out so that we may endure it (1 Cor 10:13).
Please keep the soul of David – and also each other – in our prayers.
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