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A Time for Everything - Funeral Homily (Ecclesiastes 3:1-15; Revelation 21:1-5, 6-7; John 19:17-18, 25-39)

Comfort and Consolation
First Reading
Ecclesiastes 3:1-15
Second Reading
Revelation 21:1-5, 6-7
Gospel
John 19:17-18, 25-39

Homily

## Introduction

Dear family and friends of [Name], we gather today with hearts both heavy and hopeful as we commend our brother/sister [Name] to the loving mercy of God. In this sacred moment, we stand together at the intersection of grief and faith, of loss and eternal promise. The Church surrounds you today with prayers, with love, and with the assurance that death is not the final word in our Christian story.

As we mourn [Name]'s passing from this life, we also celebrate the gift that [his/her] life has been to each of us. And we look to God's Word to illuminate our path through this difficult moment.

## Scriptural Reflection

The readings we have heard today speak profoundly to the mystery we now face together. In Ecclesiastes, we are reminded that in God's divine plan, there is "a time for everything under heaven." This ancient wisdom acknowledges the natural rhythms of human existence—birth and death, planting and harvesting, weeping and laughing. These are not random occurrences but part of a greater design that, while often mysterious to us, is held in the loving hands of our Creator.

The author of Ecclesiastes tells us, "God has made everything appropriate to its time, and has put the timeless into their hearts." Even as we experience the painful reality that there is "a time to die," we also carry within us a sense of eternity—what Scripture calls "the timeless" placed in our hearts. This divine gift allows us to look beyond the boundaries of our mortal existence toward something greater.

This "something greater" is beautifully revealed in our reading from Revelation, where we glimpse the fulfillment of all human longing: "Behold, God's dwelling is with the human race." In this vision of the new heaven and new earth, we hear the most consoling words imaginable: "He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there shall be no more death or mourning, wailing or pain."

This promise finds its foundation in the Gospel reading from John, which brings us to the foot of the cross. There, in Jesus's suffering and death, we witness not the defeat of love but its ultimate triumph. Even in his agony, Jesus creates community—giving his mother to the beloved disciple, forming a new family bound by love rather than blood. And from his pierced side flow blood and water, symbols of the sacramental life of the Church through which we continue to encounter Christ's saving presence.

Together, these readings reveal a profound truth: that in Christ, death has been transformed. What appears as an ending becomes, mysteriously, a new beginning. The cross—an instrument of torture—becomes the tree of life.

## Connection to the Deceased

In [Name]'s life, we saw reflections of this paschal mystery—this pattern of death and resurrection that marks authentic Christian living.

[Name] understood, perhaps more deeply than many, that there truly is "a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance." [His/Her] life embodied this wisdom from Ecclesiastes, embracing both joy and sorrow with remarkable grace.

Like the beloved disciple who stood at the foot of the cross, [Name] remained faithful in difficult moments. [He/She] created community around [him/her], drawing people together in ways that reflected Christ's own gathering love.

In the ordinary circumstances of daily life, [Name] revealed an extraordinary capacity for seeing beyond the immediate moment to the deeper meanings that connect us to eternity. This vision allowed [him/her] to face life's challenges with a hope that transcended circumstances.

*(moment of gentle silence)*

## Message of Hope

Dear friends, as we gather in this moment of loss, we are not alone in our grief. Christ himself weeps with us, just as he wept at the tomb of his friend Lazarus. Our tears are holy. Our sorrow is seen and honored by God.

Yet through our tears, we glimpse something more. The cross of Good Friday always gives way to the empty tomb of Easter morning. Death never has the final word for those who belong to Christ.

In Revelation, we heard these words: "I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end." Our lives, including [Name]'s life, are held within this divine embrace—the God who is both our origin and our destination. Nothing and no one falls outside this circle of divine love.

The water and blood that flowed from Christ's side on Calvary continue to nourish us through the sacraments. In baptism, [Name] was united with Christ's death and resurrection. In the Eucharist, [he/she] received the pledge of eternal life. These sacred mysteries do not end with death but find their fulfillment in it.

We do not know the exact nature of the journey that awaits the soul after death. The Church teaches us that most of us will need purification before entering the fullness of God's presence. This is why we pray for [Name] now—not because we lack hope, but because our love continues beyond the threshold of death. Our prayers accompany [him/her] on this final journey home.

As we commend [Name] to God's mercy, we trust in the promise we heard today: "Behold, I make all things new." The God who first breathed life into us at creation continues this work of renewal even now, transforming our mourning into dancing, our grief into joy—not by erasing our pain but by redeeming it, just as the wounds of the risen Christ become not marks of defeat but badges of victory.

## Conclusion

Dear family and friends of [Name], in these coming days and weeks, allow yourselves to grieve fully, to weep when you need to weep, to share memories, to support one another. The Church continues to walk with you in this difficult moment. The paschal candle burning beside us reminds us that Christ's light shines even in our darkest moments.

Let us pray together for [Name], trusting in God's infinite mercy:

Eternal rest grant unto [Name], O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon [him/her]. May [his/her] soul, and the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.

Sources Consulted

  • Pope Benedict XVI, *Spe Salvi* (Encyclical on Christian Hope)
  • The Order of Christian Funerals (Catholic Church)
  • St. Augustine, *Confessions*, Book IX (On Death and Grief)
  • Catechism of the Catholic Church, Articles 988-1019 (On Resurrection and Eternal Life)
  • St. John Paul II, *Salvifici Doloris* (On the Christian Meaning of Suffering)
  • Raymond E. Brown, *The Gospel According to John* (Catholic Commentary)
  • Pope Francis, *The Joy of the Gospel* (Apostolic Exhortation)
  • St. Thomas Aquinas, *Summa Theologica*, Supplement, Q.69-99 (On the Last Things)
Published on: April 28, 2025
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