Homily of Bishop Doran
From the moment we are born until the moment we die, each one of us is part of an ever-expanding web of relationships, including family and friends, work colleagues, team-mates and Church community. Each one of you here had a unique connection with Gilbert; most obviously his parents Meg and David, and his sisters Rachel and Kate. Even in a close-knit family, we know one another differently and so each person’s loss is very personal. In saying this, I think of Gilbert’s friends who sat beside him for years at school. I am mindful also of soldiers of his unit, who accompanied him on his most recent mission and were closest to him at the time of his death.
In our first reading, we heard that “The souls of the Just are in the hands of God … They are at peace”. Gilbert is at peace. In our gathering today, as we entrust him to God’s mercy, we seek that peace for ourselves, as we support one another by our prayers and by our presence.
The time around a funeral is a time when memories are shared. Many stories have been told about Gilbert over cups of tea and coffee, and many more will be told before the day is out; stories of his escapades and of his commitment; his interest in archery and in brewing.
In chatting with David and Meg during the week, I heard the story of Gilbert’s mobile phone. Tucked away in the cover of his phone, which was with him when he died, was a tiny, laminated card. On it was a short passage from the Gospel according to Matthew, which has since been traced back to a clipping taken from his pocket bible at home. This is the passage that David and Meg chose to use at Mass today. It clearly spoke to Gilbert, and I want to try and unpack it a little, in the hope that it might also speak to us this afternoon.
We do live, as Jesus said, in a time when there are “wars and rumours of wars”. It is an anxious time, not least for soldiers and for the families of soldiers. I suppose soldiers train for war in the hope that it will never come. They prepare, so that others may live in peace. Jesus encourages us not to lose hope in the face of all that is wrong with the world. “The end is not yet”. I take this to refer to the fact that Jesus has a mission for each of us and that all of us, women and men, soldiers and civilians alike, are called to serve the common good of humanity.
“He who endures to the end shall be saved”. With these words Jesus reminds us that our ultimate good is achieved, not by seeking our own glory, but by laying down our lives for one another, and there are any number of ways of doing that.
The bible and the lives of the saints are full of the stories of soldiers who were also people of faith. Both Saint Matthew and Saint Luke tell the story of the Roman Centurion who came to Jesus seeking healing for his servant. He was, by all accounts, a man of peace; committed to building up rather than to destruction. He describes himself as a man who understands authority and is used to giving orders. He is able therefore to recognise the authority of Jesus. Other soldier-saints include Saint Paul, Saint Francis of Assisi, Saint George and Saint Joan of Arc.
In our second reading, Saint Paul tells us “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith”. Paul’s fighting began as a soldier of the Sanhedrin, an officer of the Temple Guard. He went around arresting Christians but, after he literally saw the light on the road to Damascus, he took on a different kind of battle, pouring out his life in the service of the Gospel.
Conversion is part of the vocation of every Christian, just as it was in the case of Saint Paul. We are called to give our hearts to Jesus and to live by his Word. It can take a whole lifetime but, as we have seen in Gilbert’s case, a lifetime sometimes has to be fitted it to a few short years.
We give thanks today for all that Gilbert achieved in such a short space of time, for all the joy and hope he brought to his family and friends. Francis of Assisi was a Christian all his life but he began to follow Jesus in earnest as a young adult. He died 800 years ago this year. Why should we be surprised today that an energetic and intelligent young man like Gilbert carried the Word of God with him, not only in the cover of his phone, but also in his heart. May he rest in peace.
ENDS
Bishop Kevin Doran is Bishop of Achonry and of Elphin. This homily was delivered at the Requiem Mass of Captain Gilbert Muldowney on 7 February at Saint Attracta’s Church, Ballinameen, Co Roscommon, in the Diocese of Elphin.