You can tell that it is a good
sign when the funeral readings for a full-blooded Italian begins with a
celebration of rich juicy foods and choice fine wines. My siblings did well in selecting
today’s readings and thereby honoring my mother’s Italian heritage. I’m sure
there are loads pepperoni, capicola, salami, pizzelles, but not pasta fagiola.
She could never understand combining beans with pasta. And she is certainly
enjoying a heavenly banquet with her Ma and Pa, with her firstborn, Dawn Mari,
and her sister, Betty, and many other loved ones, and this time she does not
have to do any of the cooking.
But
the more important part of the readings is that Connie is with the One who wipes
away all tears, the One who destroys the pain of death. She is with Our God who
sets all things aright. And Connie waited for him, He sought her ought and she
responded openly, Connie came to know him well, She came to know his rich,
juicy, overflowing mercy and love, and she accepted the salvation God extended
to her. And the Lord settled her soul as she knew she was one of his cherished,
beloved ones.
She
beheld in life the mystery that St. Paul talks about in First Corinthians. We
will not all die, but we will be changed. The Lord changed her so beautifully,
gently, as they grew closer together in her last years, and she came to know
how precious she was to the Lord, who validated her, affirmed her, and thanked
her for all the good she did in her life.
We
siblings have always accounted our mother’s greatest sacrificial act in life
was caring for her first-born, Dawn Mari, who was a special needs child. While
Connie always measured out her parental love for each of us without partiality,
Dawn Mari always needed the most specialized care a mother could provide. Dawn
Mari was simply lovable and brought us all joy, even amidst the hardships, but
my mother’s love for her was the type of unconditional love that we know God
gives us. God will never be separated from us. We will never be out of God’s
sight. God will always be extending a gentle hand to us and hoping that we reach back for it in our
time of need. Our mother cared for our sister similarly to the way God cares
for us – with an unbroken bond of admiration and wonder, always joyful that we
turn back to the one who loves us and smiles in gratitude.
Dawn
Mari, was a large part, but was not the complete story of Connie’s life, and I
know she is happy with the Gospel selected, mainly because there is finally a
large house with many dwelling places. No more will two parents, eight
children, three dogs, five cats, and many other pets have to be squished into a
tiny abode. Just as there were many rooms in her house during her life, there’s
a special place for each of us in God’s house. She will continue to make
certain that we are provided for uniquely and with her customary special
attention, but most importantly, she will have her own space where she can rest
and be cared for by the Lord. As children, we seldom saw her eat, we almost never
saw her sleep, we never saw her take rest, and she was always providing for her
family that sometimes placed great demands on her. God will repay her for her
tireless, selfless, sacrifice of her life for her children and their loved
ones. This moment is her time to be fully embraced by the Lord. It is her time
to receive the care she lavished upon her loved ones.
We
have many stories we want to share about our mother, and we hope to share with
you these essential parts of our lives in due time. In her later years, we
learned so much about her parents, her friendship with her sisters and the
Italian side of our family, her pride in serving in the Air Force, the toils
and strains of her working life, the fears and regrets she made as a parent,
the movies and songs that inspired her, and the fond memories that made her
feel honored, but today is about her story of faith, and about what God is
doing with her and for her. As the readings tell us, we cannot linger in
sadness, we cannot live in grief. Mom does not want us to do so; God will lead
us towards rejoicing.
The
Isaiah reading says: “The Lord will wipe away the tears for all faces.” This
God has come for Connie, and God is tenderly embracing her and saying, “Welcome
home, my dear one, the one with the most beautiful face. Thank you for sharing
so much of your love on earth.” St. Paul says, “Death has no sting. Death has
been broken and God’s love has the power to bind us together even through
mortal death – because those who have died are alive to God and are alive to
us. Everything is changed. Therefore, let us rejoice in this victory.” Thanks
be to God through Jesus Christ. And the Gospel from John reassures us: “Do not
let your hearts be troubled. Just Believe and everything will be O.K. You are
welcome in this house. You are welcome to this feast that has rich, juicy food
and choice wines. This is a time of celebration for our God has come for us.”
Dara,
Rich, Dave, Diane, Sharon, Erica. Mom does not want you to be sad for her. She
will continue to care for you more nearly, more perfectly, than you can
imagine.
Sometimes,
we question and doubt, just as Connie did, just as Thomas and the other
disciples did when they asked, “Where are you going? We do not know the way.”
Jesus says to us: Don’t worry about the destination, just get on the train and
take a seat. Connie was able to do that. During this past year, she talked
about being afraid because she was on a train and she did not have a ticket or
know the destination. The train was moving steadily and she felt alone and she
was afraid the conductor would come to ask for her ticket. She had no money for
one. I simply reassured her that I knew the train conductor well and I trusted
him completely. He already paid for her ticket, and she could buy any snack,
any food, anything she wanted on that train, and he would stay close to her and
look after her. He would come by for short conversations to remove her fear and
he would let her know when it was time to get off the train. He was the One who
knew the way. He was the one to give life and to speak the truth. Connie
learned to trust him. She learned Christ was the conductor, and he kept feeding
her and healing her and leading her home. On Thursday, the train arrived at her
destination and she is led by Christ to his Father’s mansion where Dawn Mari
eagerly awaits, where her Ma and Pa kiss her all over, where all her loved ones
say, “Welcome home, dear friend. You did well. Come live in the happiness long
promised for you.”
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