Funeral Homily for Ernest Joseph Voisin [00006]. (Page 1 of 2.)

Source: Reverend Michael D. Murphy, Funeral Homily For Ernest Voisin; (East Lansing, Michigan: St. Thomas Acquinas Catholic Church, 1987).

Transcription:

FUNERAL HOMILY FOR ERNEST VOISIN SEPTEMBER 5, 1987

1. I wish to offer condolences to you Ernest's family and friends, but especially to Jack, Glenn, Mary Lou, Paul, Karen, Sue and John.
-Our prayers are with you and for you today as you bring your father and grand­father to be buried.

2. Sometimes I think we need a special insight in how to read obituaries. We need to be able to filter the information that is provided in order to get to the pertinent information about a person's life.

a. What struck me about Ernest's obituary was the list of names that was given. -Obviously relationships meant a great deal to this man.
-He spent a great deal of his life's energy building his relationships with the people whose names are recorded in the paper.

b. In light of that how appropriate the 2nd reading from Revelations was for us
-We heard the words "write this down" or to put it another way let this truth be clearly etched in your heart and mind.
-"Happy now are the dead who die in the Lord" Yes they shall find rest from their labors, for their good works accompany them."

c. Jesus told us to love our neighbor as ourselves.
-Generally when a person finds the time for this many people in his life
then he is striving to implement the Lord's commandment in his life.
-As Ernest goes to the Lord the only things he takes with himself are the
good works he has done and the relationships he has forged over a lifetime.

3. Another thing that stood out was the Tiger's baseball cap in his casket.

a. This man as you so well know loved tie Detroit Tigers. He was a loyal fan.
-But he also knew that you don't have baseball 12 months a year--'there is a season for baseball as "there is an appointed time for everything and a time for every affair under the heavens."

b. Our lives must have the rhythms of life that were so eloquently spoken about in that reading from the Book of Ecclesiastes.
-We need to develop a balance in our lives --a sense of when things are appropriate.

c. Another item that we saw in his casket was his rosary laced through his fingers. Daily his rosary could be found in his fingers as he worked on that most fundamental relationship we all must foster in our lives and that is our relationship with our God.
-The rosary in Ernest's fingers was not a meaningless and empty gesture.
-Rather it spoken of an important facet of this man's-life. He believed enough to offer this prayer daily.

d. Both the baseball cap and the rosary were realities that found a time and place in Ernest's life.

4. In the Gospel we again heard Jesus' reassuring words to Martha his friend that He is "the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me even though he should die will come to life."

a. Then Jesus asked Martha as he questions us "do you believe this?" -Well of course we do
-We too believe with Martha that Jesus is the "Messiah--He 'who was to come into the world."

b. You knew and experienced Ernest as a creative and innovative man who could look at something that was broken or not working and find a way to fix it.

c. If Ernest was so clever how much more innovative must our God be -- He who fashioned this man and gave him life and breath.

d. Our God sees us broken by sin and evil and he does not want us to die in in our sins. So he raises us to life if we but live our lives by his commandments. As Jesus said "if you love me you will keep my commandments."