Funeral Homily: Florence Harnist - Joy in Adversity

My dear friends in Christ, Jean & Mary Ann and all of Florence’s close family and friends, please know of the prayers and sympathy of the priests, staff, and parishioners of St. Clare Parish.  We pray and mourn with you. May the presence of Christ and his Church bring you comfort and peace.

At the death of a loved one, the funeral rites of the Church gather us as a family of faith for a number of reasons: to be comforted in our time of grief, to pray in thanksgiving for the life and lessons of our dear departed loved one, and also to pray in supplication for their eternal soul.

We seek to be comforted because there is real sorrow at the loss of one loved so much. Whether death is expected or unexpected, sadness fills us because we will miss our loved one, the world and our lives will be different without them.  We grieve, as the old proverb says because it is human to do so.  Yet, the full proverb states: grieve because it is human, hope because it is Christian.

For Christians, grieving the death of a loved one is always met by Christian hope. And our readings at this funeral Mass speak of our hope. Our hope that one, like Florence, who exhibited so much justice, so much faith, is making her way into the hands of God where no torment shall touch her. Our second reading, spoke too of hope.  Saint John in his mysterious book of revelation describes the new heaven and a new earth in which the faithful will dwell forever after our bodily resurrection.  This glimpse into eternal life gives us hope, for Florence and for ourselves.

This is why St. Paul says, Christians do not grieve like the rest of the world who have no hope.  At the death of a Christian, we do so much more than simply eulogize and speak about what has passed.  We gather in prayer to express our hope of what is yet to come.

Yet, at the death of a loved one, we also have a very holy impulse to give thanks to God and to speak well of our loved ones.  As I met with Mary Ann & Jean yesterday, they described their mother Florence as a gentle women, friendly, “easy to love,” young at heart, yet also a woman of great faith.

In Florence’s case, I do not believe this to be a simple platitude.  When I visited her back in October, to bring her the refreshment of the sacrament of anointing, I remember her telling me about the power of prayer.  “Never underestimate the power of prayer” she said.  This was coming from a woman who in her 102 years, had suffered from a serious bleeding ulcer, colon cancer, bladder cancer, a heart attack.  No doubt her faith brought her so much strength in great adversities of her life. 

Florence had a book of spiritual reflections which contained signs of constant meditation, called “My Daily Bread”, and inside its front cover was a saying by St. Francis de Sales, one of the great spiritual masters: “Do not worry about tomorrow, for the same everlasting Lord who cares for you today will take care of you tomorrow and everyday. Either he will shield you from suffering or give you unfailing strength to sustain it. Be at peace then and put aside all anxious thoughts and imaginings.”

Here is a woman who did not allow anxiety to diminish her strength.  A bookmark, a holy card from Eucharistic Adoration chapel hear at St. Clare, marked a chapter within Florence’s daily devotional, titled “Joy in Adversity.”  Florence had highlighted several paragraphs. Listen to these words which must have touched Florence deeply: “You too would find joy in adversity if you exercised more faith, more humility, more patience, more love for Me, instead of favoring yourself so much. If you had even a passing glimpse of the indescribable glory of Heaven, you would no longer seek what is pleasant and satisfying on earth. You would easily admit that all earthly trials and sufferings are small in comparison with the heavenly reward. Never again would you complain in time of adversity.”

Nourished by constant meditation, daily Mass when she was able, frequent reception of communion in her illness, Florence strived to live a virtuous life.  In this she is an example to us all.  If any of you have perhaps fallen away from the practice of the faith, I could think of no greater honor or tribute to Florence, than to make a good confession, and return to the practice of the faith by coming to the altar every Sunday for the rest of your lives.

We pray today that Florence, we lift her up at this altar, to which she came so often with her family, that she may receive all the grace and strength and purification she may need in order to enter that place prepared for her in heaven.  And also to remember that for faithful Christians there are no final goodbyes.  We look forward to that day, when Christ returns in glory, when those who died in communion with Him shall be raised to everlasting life in the resurrection.  We look forward of being reunited with Florence and her late husband Edward, and all of our loved ones on that day of glory, when the love of Christ destroys death forever and gathers the faithful home to God’s eternal kingdom of peace.