Homily For Dad's Funeral Mass 6 July 2017

The one thing that I often think about when I think of Dad is the word family. The family at home with my Mum brother and Sister and extended family which I am sure you will hear a little about from my Sister later and the family of the Church. I want to focus on this.

What does it mean to belong to the family of the Church? It first of all means to be centred around a table the altar where we see Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. We receive the Bread of life the Body of Christ. Something that for Dad was important. All his life he remembered the first time that he received Jesus I am not sure if it was because he did not have to share the chocolate bar given to him by the priest but I suspect that it was the fact that he was receiving Jesus for the first time. The family gathers around the table of Jesus the altar both in good times and also times of sorrow. We do this today. Jesus says that I am the bread of life. I am the one who you eat and gives you eternal life. By receiving the Body and Blood of Christ we get a foretaste of what that life with Jesus will be and that is one of eternal happiness and joy in heaven. 

But, there is another aspect to this family and that is one of service. We are called to serve in its mission. To be part of the family of God means we have responsibility to help to do our bit. To serve in the Church in many different way and to use our gifts and talents is what we are meant to do as members of this family. I won't go through everything that Dad was involved with in the Church from a diocese level to just building a roof on a parish social club he was very much part of the life of the Church but one notable thing that had a influence on myself and my brother and my Sister that was altar serving. For my Sister who wanted to join us serving out in those days was not allowed.  One could tell that he enjoyed it even to making sure that we could hold the water and the wine going down backwards from the altar.  I remember practicing at home on the stairs walking up and down without turning around with Dad behind. Although he did not serve at my ordination I told him he was not allowed he did MC my first Mass making sure I got my parts right. He served from an early age when he would serve for the sisters in Walthamstow. He used to say he enjoyed the fact that he was given a whole egg for breakfast  a rare treat as well as serving. He taught together with Greg and Terry a generation how to serve. 

The mission of the Church therefore flows from the gift of the Eucharist we are strengthened by the Mass to go and be missionaries by the little that we do. All this flows because of the Love of the Lord for us. We hear this expressed in the first reading. Think John says of the love the Father has lavished upon us. To be in a family means that we love. God loves us by lavishing his grace upon us. We act out of love for God is love. The family of the Church loves its members we show God’s love by helping and supporting one another.  There is one thing that we all as a family have felt and experienced ourselves is the deep love of the parish family. As family we support each other it is a great sense of joy and gratitude that we feel so supported by the parish family. 

When we pray when we enter into a relationship with the father we are caught up in that family. The family supports until the end. On the morning Dad died when given the last rights by Father Matthew when Dad was  prayed over and prayed for he slipped from this world this family to join the extended family in heaven. This heavenly family is still part of this family here on earth which we are reminded of today when we pray for the dead. We are united in prayer together around the altar. When we gather around the altar and when we pray in the  quiet of our hearts when we think about those who have died we are united with the whole family of humanity we are linked to Christ who as we see in the light of this Easter Candle is our light who gently guides us and is always with us. 

It is strange feeling funerals because we are sad because the ones we love are no longer with us. It is also a sense of joy because we know that those whom have gone before us are now caught up in the love of God.  That we do not have to watch them suffer and struggle through their illness. We have hope and a firm belief that we will all be together again. 

On a very personal note I want to thank the Parish family for the love and support and also the family of the road where Mum lives  for your kindness and love is appreciated by us all.