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Funeral Practicum : Wisdom 3:1-6,9 & Jn 14:1-6

 

They seemed, in the view of the foolish, to be deadthey are in peace

I)Intro: Q: Have you received the message?

Many of us probably remember the story of Romeo and Juliet. At the end of the story, Juliet takes a potion to make it seem as though she is dead. Romeo failed to receive the message that would inform him of the secret plan to unite them forever. Romeo, not realizing she was still alive, decides to take his own life rather than live without her.

So, I ask all of you, have you failed to receive the message? Do you not realize that our loved one, Kathy is still alive? The book of Wisdom tells us that, "they seemed, in the view of the foolish, to be dead." Are you one of the foolish? Have you received the message!?

The message is that Jesus has conquered death and through his Death and Resurrection he has prepared a place in his Father’s house for all believers. [John 14:2] In my Father's house there are many dwelling places. If there were not, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? It is foolish to think death is the end and not see that our loved ones live on as Jesus has promised.

If you haven’t received this message, you will see death as the final end and no life thereafter. It will be easy to fall into despair and even become angry at God with this type of thinking. Like Romeo, you will eventually die, you will die spiritually.

If you have received the message of Christ’s victory over death, then you live in Hope and believe Kathy is alive. You believe that she is on her way to the Father’s house and look forward to the day we are all reunited with her.

Have you received the message? Can you see that Kathy is not dead, but very much alive? Hopefully, all of you are not like Romeo and have instead got the message. We believe that Jesus has prepared a place for all believers in his Father’s house and because of that we pray for Kathy. We pray that in God’s time she may enter this awesome house. We pray that we will all one day be reunited in the Father’s house. My friends, let us not be like Romeo and miss the message, but rather, let us remain believers in Jesus Christ and in the eternal life that awaits us all.

John Sistare, Seminarian, North American College, Rome, May 17, 1999


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