Funeral Homily for a Baptized Infant or Baby - Let the Children Come to Me (Isaiah 25:6a, 7-9; Revelation 7:9-10, 15-17; Mark 10:13-16)

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Dear [parents' names], dear family and friends, brothers and sisters in Christ:

There is no sorrow quite like this one. You waited and prepared for this child. You held [Name], learned [Name]'s face, imagined the whole life ahead. And now you must say goodbye far too soon. A small casket is the heaviest thing a parish ever carries.

I will not try to explain why this has happened. There are no words that make this right. What I can offer you today is the presence of a community that grieves with you, and the promises of the God who loves your child even more than you do.

God wipes away the tears

The prophet Isaiah describes God preparing a feast on his mountain, where "he will destroy death forever" and "the Lord God will wipe away the tears from all faces."

Today there are many tears in this church. Isaiah does not say they are wrong. He says that God himself will wipe them away. The God we worship is not distant from your grief. He bends down to it, as you bent down over your child's crib.

Before the throne of the Lamb

In the Book of Revelation, Saint John sees a great multitude before the throne of God, from every nation and people, clothed in white robes. "They will not hunger or thirst anymore... For the Lamb who is in the center of the throne will shepherd them and lead them to springs of life-giving water, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes."

[Name] was baptized. In that moment [Name] was clothed in the white garment of Christ and became a child of God. We commend [Name] to God today with great confidence, because the Lord himself has claimed this little one as his own. The white pall on this small casket is a sign of that baptismal promise.

"Let the children come to me"

In the Gospel, people bring children to Jesus, and the disciples try to send them away. Jesus is indignant. "Let the children come to me; do not prevent them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these." Then "he embraced them and blessed them, placing his hands on them."

That is the image I want you to hold onto. Jesus embracing the children, placing his hands on them, blessing them. You could not hold [Name] as long as you wanted. We entrust [Name] now to the arms of Christ, who said that the kingdom belongs to little ones like this.

For the parents and family

[Parents' names], you are still [Name]'s mother and father. Nothing changes that. Your love for [Name] is real and lasting, and you will carry it for the rest of your lives. Grief for a child does not follow a schedule. Be patient with yourselves and with each other. Mothers and fathers often grieve differently; let each other grieve in your own ways.

To family and friends: in the weeks and months ahead, do not disappear. Say [Name]'s name. Remember the anniversaries. Bring meals, sit with them, pray with them. That is how the Body of Christ carries one another.

In a few moments we will gather at this altar for the Eucharist, where heaven and earth meet. In every Mass we join the great multitude before the throne of the Lamb. Here, as close as we can be on this earth, we place [Name] into the embrace of the Good Shepherd.

May the angels lead [Name] into paradise, and may the Lord who loves little children receive [Name] with joy. Amen.