Reflection on VMary Mauldin

By Bishop-Elect Gregory J. Hartmayer, OFM Conv.

 (Vigil Service – August 29, 2011)

My Dear Friends,

I can’t even begin to compete with Carol Hamill and her wonderful reflection: her experience here at St. Philip’s and with Mary; all that she has been able to summarize for us to help us in our grief; and our call to renew and reflect upon our own commitment as baptized disciples of Christ.

The following prayer is one that I often use when I’m in similar situations that involve the death of a loved one.  It’s a prayer that helps me.  It puts our life in perspective with God’s plan…and so I’d like to share it with you.

“We give back to you, O God, those whom you gave to us.  You do not lose them when you give them to us, and we do not lose them by their return to you.  Your dear Son has taught us that life is eternal and love cannot die, so death is only a horizon – and a horizon is only the limit of our sight.  Open our eyes to see more clearly and draw us closer to You so that we may know that we are nearer to our loved ones who are with You.  Amen.”

Like all of you, when I was notified of Mary’s death, I could not comprehend that she had died.  She had been sick so many times before – she always bounced back.  But, it became apparent that she no longer had the physical strength to fight.  Having worked closely with Mary for the 15 years that I was here at St. Philip Benizi, I came to know and respect and appreciate her quickly.  It was quite obvious that Mary not only had the academic credentials to be a Director of Faith Formation, but more importantly, she had a vocation – to lead others to Christ and to bring Christ to others.

The manifestation of Mary’s faith was very balanced.  She was gifted by God with the ability to help others come to a greater awareness of God’s presence in their life.  Mary had a deep understanding of the Scriptures and she had the ability – and more importantly, she had the desire – to help make the Scriptures come alive.  She made the Scriptures living documents, helping others to see their relevance and personal application to their own lives.  Mary was a wonderful teacher.

As I think of all the symbols that were brought forward tonight, which were wisely chosen to indicate how each of them reflected Mary’s ministry to our parish, I think of the one symbol that best represents Mary’s spiritual life.  Carol touched on it a bit.  The one symbol that best represents Mary’s spiritual life was already in the sanctuary – and it stands tall and is positioned closest to her cremains – the Paschal Candle – the Easter Candle.

The Easter Vigil was Mary’s favorite liturgical celebration.  It was the highlight of her celebration of the liturgical year.  During the Easter Vigil, we are reminded that the Church is giving birth to the newness of life – the new fire, the new Easter water, the new oil – all the rich symbols of the resurrection – both the resurrection of Christ and the promise of our own resurrection from death.

St. Paul reminds us that if we have died with Him in Baptism, we shall rise with Him in a like resurrection.  The Paschal Candle stands tall as a constant reminder of Christ, our Light.  Jesus refers to himself as the Light of the World. 

In order for the candle to give life – to give off heat – to give off light and expel the darkness and give us guidance as a beacon that helps us focus, it must spend itself – it must give of itself – it must consume itself – in order to give life and heat and light.  That which makes a candle – especially from nature – from the wax of bees – is used to continually make the association of Christ as the Light – in opposition to the darkness of sin and despair and hopelessness.

St. Paul tells us that “we must decrease if He is to increase”.  St. Francis tells us that “it is in giving that we receive”.  And so, the candle to me, as it gets smaller and smaller as a sign of its use, as a sign of the celebrations of which it was a part – the Baptisms, Confirmations, and Masses of the Resurrection – all indicate the spending and the consuming of that candle in order for us to benefit from its light.  Mary loved to celebrate the Easter Vigil each year because it was so meaningful for her, in our own life, and in our relationship with the risen Christ.

As Carol indicated, Mary was so forward-looking.  She always looked forward to the growth of the Church as it began to evolve – as it began to understand itself, its role and its mission as the Body of Christ.  Mary would become so energized when she saw people wanting to become a part of the Catholic Church – her church – the church that she loved so much – to see their interest, their inquiry, their curiosity, their longing, their thirst and hunger.  She received renewed strength and joy when she could see that other people longed for what she enjoyed – her gift of faith, given to her by God, to be exercised and nourished, helping it to grow as a human person and as a minister of the Church.  Seeing other people excited about something that she so enjoyed and in which she felt so fulfilled excited her too.

Each one of us here tonight, and without a doubt, hundreds of others, has been drawn to the Light, because Mary was a bearer of the light.  It is most appropriate that the Easter Candle stands tall in front of her urn and burns brightly.  This is the vivid reminder of the new life that has been won for us – given to us by Jesus Christ who died on the cross for our sins and rose from the dead, victorious.  It is also a vivid reminder for us to appreciate the life of those that we love.

When someone close to us dies, it causes us to reflect on our own mortality, and how fragile and temporary life on Earth is.  It causes us to appreciate the life that we enjoy.  For those who believe in Jesus and in His resurrection, and for those who accept the invitation to share eternal life with Him, the tears still fall when a relative or a friend dies, yet we are not overwhelmed – we are not defeated –

we are not discouraged.  Our faith in Jesus Christ sustains us – and Mary believed that with all of her heart.

We, as a community of faith, mourn the loss of one who has given so much to the Church, but we also rejoice and we celebrate the new life that Mary now enjoys.  Mary has run the good race – she has won the prize.  We should not fear that our life will come to an end, but rather, we should fear that our life may never have begun.  Mary lived her life to the fullest.

“Eternal rest grant unto her, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon her.  May she rest in peace.  Amen.”
 

VMary McCoy Mauldin

Born: October 4, 1954

Born to Eternal Life: August 24, 2011