Yesterday I attended the funeral of one of the St. James’s congregation, our host church. Margaret was a lovely woman, always smiling and positive. She had been born into this church, baptized and married here. She spent her whole life serving God in this place in many different ways. We used to have a little chat when she was in doing the flowers or some other task. She was always elegantly and immaculately dressed. When I came back to work after my wife died, she put a gentle hand on my arm and said “It does get better”. It was wonderful to hear tributes from her son and granddaughter about how she loved her family, and from Rev. James Breslin, about all that she did in and beyond St. James’s. Margaret lived a good and long life, taking delight on her family and her faith. One of the readings was from Proverbs 31:10 -31, which extols the virtues of the wife of noble character – a very fitting tribute to Margaret I thought. Although this was a sad occasion, it was also very peaceful and filled with love. Margaret was in her 80s, she had enjoyed her life and appreciated who and what she had. She had talked about dying with her family and seemed at peace.
It is still rare for me to attend or conduct a funeral where someone has lived a long life. As a congregation, we are relatively young, and those who have died amongst us have died at a younger age, often unexpectedly. In our community, AIDS claimed so many young lives. In my own family, surviving to the age of 70 is quite an achievement. On these occasions, there are emotions of shock and perhaps anger, questions about why someone has died, the thwarted dreams of a life cut short, In contrast, Margaret’s gentle slipping away after a life well lived seemed to complete the circle of life, and the overwhelming sense I had in the church was one of gratitude. Her family and friends will miss her a great deal, but this was a ‘good death’.
Soon, we will be marking the death of Jesus. A young life cut brutally short. In those hours after his death, the shock and confusion amongst his followers must have been profound. How could all that he had done and said come to this terrible end? Every Good Friday, there is something so powerful for me to hear the passion story, with its betrayal, cruelty and injustice. If we read this story on the Amnesty International website today, we would be outraged. The human story of Jesus ends in the tomb. I listen in shock on Good Friday to end of all goodness. In the darkness of the tomb, God is at work. For me, the resurrection of Christ is the ultimate proof of his divinity. All humans die. Christ overcame death. We follow God made human and living amongst us.
God bless,
Cecilia
It is still rare for me to attend or conduct a funeral where someone has lived a long life. As a congregation, we are relatively young, and those who have died amongst us have died at a younger age, often unexpectedly. In our community, AIDS claimed so many young lives. In my own family, surviving to the age of 70 is quite an achievement. On these occasions, there are emotions of shock and perhaps anger, questions about why someone has died, the thwarted dreams of a life cut short, In contrast, Margaret’s gentle slipping away after a life well lived seemed to complete the circle of life, and the overwhelming sense I had in the church was one of gratitude. Her family and friends will miss her a great deal, but this was a ‘good death’.
Soon, we will be marking the death of Jesus. A young life cut brutally short. In those hours after his death, the shock and confusion amongst his followers must have been profound. How could all that he had done and said come to this terrible end? Every Good Friday, there is something so powerful for me to hear the passion story, with its betrayal, cruelty and injustice. If we read this story on the Amnesty International website today, we would be outraged. The human story of Jesus ends in the tomb. I listen in shock on Good Friday to end of all goodness. In the darkness of the tomb, God is at work. For me, the resurrection of Christ is the ultimate proof of his divinity. All humans die. Christ overcame death. We follow God made human and living amongst us.
God bless,
Cecilia
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