would only nod in a knowing kind of way and maybe roll her eyes at something that sounded outrageous. Periodically, in the midst of conversations in

Transcription

1 Funeral Homily for Dr. Priscilla Pat Thomas Crawford, PhD Wisdom 3:1-6,9 Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul, Indianapolis, Indiana Rev. 4:1-11 April 25, 2012, Feast of Saint Mark, the Evangelist Matthew 5:1-12a Rev. Noah J. Casey I want you to imagine the scene. There was a sizable crowd. They had followed the itinerant preacher from Nazareth. Some had seen a few of His miracles. Many had heard His message. There was something different about this preacher. He wasn t like the others. He spoke with authority, like someone who really believed the message, and better yet behaved like He preached. They had followed him to this not so high mountain top to listen to Him, to listen to Jesus of Nazareth. A few were beginning to think that He might be The One, the promised Messiah. No one dared to say this publicly for fear of repercussions and reprisals by the Jewish leadership, but some thought this in their hearts. The crowd was growing, and it was, to say the least, diverse. Mostly Jews, they were from all walks of life. Craftsmen, house wives, Jewish leaders hanging back so as not to give the impression they liked Him as much as they did. Then there were the poor and the outcast, the people who smelled bad and the prostitutes. Public sinners who had received encouragement from Jesus in brief encounters; the sick and the lame some of whom He had laid a hand on and even healed. In their midst, lounging about, but listening intently was a woman whose premature, long white hair wrapped around her face that was somewhat hidden by a funky kind of scarf the likes of which no one had ever seen. Some considered her a bit eccentric. She seemed to have a variety of hats for all occasions, and all of them were distinctive. Others had noticed her at these gatherings around Jesus. For the most part, she

2 2 would only nod in a knowing kind of way and maybe roll her eyes at something that sounded outrageous. Periodically, in the midst of conversations in small groups she would challenge what was being said, disagree with some statements and even argue. Whatever her stance on an issue, it was her passion for truth that impressed folks. In particular she used her obvious intelligence to lift up the needs of the less fortunate, folks who had no one to speak up for them. People who followed Jesus found her present with increasing frequency. Her name was Priscilla. Quite possibly at a time when women were to be seen and certainly not heard, Priscilla was not bashful. Her boldness led her to follow Jesus to this mountainside. She was ready to listen. Jesus began to speak. Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. She thought to herself, now that s an interesting idea. Just as she was beginning to pick that apart in the tangles of her mind, Jesus continued, Blessed are they who mourn, for they will be comforted. When, she wondered; when would that comfort come? Is this man going to specific? Blessed are the meek...those who hunger...the merciful. Priscilla wondered where this was all going. The meek, those who were hungry, and the merciful usually got stepped on, and here Jesus was supporting them, even encouraging them. She said to herself, what about the little people who get stepped on by the big shots, what about them. She could barely keep up in her own thinking because more statements kept rolling off the tongue of this Jesus of Nazareth that were shocking in their apparent contradictions. Now, He was blessing those who were clean of heart...where would we ever find those people...the peacemakers, those who were persecuted for the sake of righteousness, those who suffered insults. By this time, Priscilla was so busy trying to get

3 3 a grip on these shocking statements, that she almost didn t hear the punch line: Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven! All those including Priscilla sitting on that mountainside knew they had never heard this teaching before. But as these words of Jesus began to slowly weave together, Priscilla was beginning to see a new kind of tapestry, a new kind of message that jived with her own innate sense of right and wrong. Maybe this was the truth; the way life was intended to be lived. Maybe, just maybe this was a new kind of charter for how to live as God s beloved sons and daughters. Indeed, maybe it was a renewed covenant of love to be written on the hearts of all those willing to submit themselves to the love of Jesus. He claimed He got it from His heavenly Father, and was willing to give it to us as well If...if...if we would take his words of blessing to heart. The message was becoming clear in her own heart and mind, and it was this: that to live now, in this world may or may not reap immediate benefits, but would definitely insure a place in the kingdom of justice and peace about which Jesus spoke often. Priscilla began seeing her passion for the poor and those without a public voice in a new light, and that light was Christ the Light of the World. When she walked with persons in personal therapy and in groups, she had met the people whom Jesus recognized as worthy. When she offered hospitality, she had done so with the same kind of conviction and freeing spirit as did Jesus. Maybe she was more like Him than she imagined. She left that mountainside that day having heard Jesus beatitudes with a renewed heart. It would lead her in and out of the lives of those she met in worship each week, with whom she shared the Table of the Eucharist. In led her in her encounters with single Catholics who needed a

4 4 gentle nudge of encouragement to come together and share their deepest longings and desires for the Lord. The Beatitudes of that Sermon on the Mount, as they were now called, guided her spirit when she broached difficult issues many of which cried out for the same justice that Jesus sought for every human being. Her wonder in all the places and things of the world, her appreciation of things of beauty that allowed her to see beauty in her brothers and sisters with whom she shared this fragile earth continued to lift her spirits in dark times and well as in light. Near the end of her precious life, Priscilla was the gold tested in the furnace of injustices and even in the personal fire of illness. However, the wisdom of God, spoken of in the first reading today, found her worthy, and God took her to Himself because grace and mercy are with His holy ones, and His care is with His elect. She was known as Dr. Pat because she boldly stepped into the weariness and strife of humanity, and offered the possibility of healing not by simplistic answers but through companionship. She had come to know that her most significant companion was Jesus. And now, having left the mountain of the Beatitudes, come with me to another vision. It is the vision in which Pat now plays a special part. It is the vision of the heavenly worship that goes on before the throne of God constantly. Oh, make no mistake about it; it s still the Pat we knew. She s still lounging, leaning back sideways on her seat like she always did in the Cathedral. She still nods, still shows that knowing smile, and still wears those dark glasses not because of poor eyes, but to shield her sight from the blinding glory of her God. It is the worship of the Lamb of God in whose blood Dr. Pat was saved, and in whose presence she now abides. While the scene is beyond earthly beauty and glimmers with the jewels of divine love, Pat is joining right in with the heavenly choirs, and to their Hosanna s

5 5 and Alleluias, she is acclaiming her Lord as she did in this life and shouting out, To God be the glory, to God be the glory. This is no longer a vision for Priscilla. It is now her reality. God has noticed her, and the Lamb of God has recognized her as one of those who listened to Him on the mountainside that day the Beatitudes began to stir in her heart. And the Lamb of God has been heard to say, I know that woman. That s Dr. Pat. She is my companion.