Tom Thomas –
They say one can learn a lot from Christian funerals through the eulogies said by the near and dear ones. These are the ones who were closest to the dearly departed and are given the honour to speak just before the conclusion of the funeral mass. They would be narrating instances from that person’s life and their impact.
Recently, in the days and weeks after losing my dad, my family and I find ourselves reliving the last days and moments with him.
What we said or did not say to him before he suddenly went to his heavenly abode. We try to cling on to these moments.
Reading through the Gospel of John these days, in particular Jn 14:1-31, the beginning of Jesus’ farewell discourses and one often used at funerals with its emphasis on the life beyond, one can sense similar threads of emotion going through the disciples. The Last Supper and the washing of the feet are over; He has shared with them the commandment to love one another Jn 13: 31-35. In these final moments that the disciples are with Jesus, they sense that He will be taken from them soon. They are filled with unease and uncertainty; they worry that He is abandoning them and are not clear where He is going. This prompts three of them to ask Him questions, as they are unsure where He was going, despite leaving everything and following His mission for the past few years.
The questions they posed to the Lord, and the answers from Him, are also pointers to us in our Christian Life.
Let us look closely:
“Master, where are you going? Master, why can’t I follow you now?” the ever impulsive Peter asks the Lord in Jn 13:36-38
“Master, we do not know where you are going? How can we know the way?” Jn 14:5, Thomas queries the Lord.
“Master, show us the Father, and that will be enough for us.” Jn 14:8 , asks Philip.
Probably the closeness of these three disciples made them ask these questions of the Lord. The others may have had them and not asked the Lord for whatever reason. We are grateful for their questions, as the responses given by the Lord provide us with clarity about the path of Christian discipleship toward the ultimate destination:
“I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” Jn 14:6
“I go and prepare a place for you so that where I am, you may also be.” Jn 14:3
“Whoever believes in me will do the works that I do, and will do greater ones than these because I am going to the Father.” Jn 14:12
Following the footsteps that our dear departed ones followed in earthly life, as they followed the Lord, also points us towards the way, the path we must undertake for Christian discipleship. And if we don’t understand any aspect of that clearly, we can ask our Priests to guide us on those aspects to obtain clarity as Peter, Thomas, and Philip did.
Holy Father Pope Francis in the Regina Caeli, May 7th, 2023 address reflecting on Jn 14:1-12 says:
“Brothers and sisters, this Word is a source of consolation, and it is a source of hope for us. Jesus does not separate from us but has opened the way for us, anticipating our final destination: the encounter with God the Father, in whose heart there is a place for each one of us. So, when we experience fatigue, bewilderment and even failure, let us remember where our life is headed. We must not lose sight of the destination, even if we risk overlooking it, forgetting the final questions, the important ones: where am I going? Where I am I walking towards? What is it worth living for? Without these questions, we compress our life into the present; we think we must enjoy it as much as possible and end up living day by day without purpose or goal. Our homeland, instead, is in heaven (cf. Phil 3:20); let us not forget the greatness and the beauty of our destination!”
In ending, this quote seems apt to reflect on what happens when we follow The Way:
“You — if you are an apostle — will not have to die. You will move to a new house: that is all.” -St Josemaria Escriva,