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Noble Deeds — Funeral Homily for Kenneth “Ken” Mullen, 79

September 2, 2026

By Fr. Victor Feltes

I invite you to reflect on these people in our readings today: the slain Jewish warriors in 2nd Maccabees, St. Joseph of Arimathea, and the holy women at Jesus’ tomb.

Our first reading came from 2nd Maccabees after God’s people had prevailed in battle. The Jews routed a Greek army of 3,000 foot soldiers and 400 cavalry and only “a few of the Jews were slain.” But when the Jews came to bury their fallen brothers, the text says “under the tunic of each of the dead they found amulets sacred to the idols of Jamnia, which [God’s law forbade] the Jews to wear. So it was clear to all that this was why these men had fallen. … Turning to supplication, they prayed that the sinful deed might be fully blotted out.” Then the Jewish commander, Judas Maccabeus, “took up a collection among all his soldiers, amounting to 2,000 silver [coins], which he sent to Jerusalem to provide for an expiatory sacrifice.” The narrator concludes that “in doing this he acted in a very excellent and noble way, inasmuch as he had the resurrection in mind… Thus he made atonement for the dead that they might be absolved from their sin.”

Another person who performed the noble task of burying the dead is written about in all four Gospels: St. Joseph of Arimathea. He was a rich man from the Jewish town of Arimathea, whom Scripture calls virtuous and righteous and a secret disciple of Jesus. He was a prominent member of the Sanhedrin, that Jewish Council which had condemned Jesus to death, but Joseph never consented to their decision or action. Joseph was awaiting the coming of the Kingdom of God and before Good Friday he probably believed that Jesus was the Christ. But the Jewish imagination did not envision that the promised Messiah, their conquering king, would be condemned and executed. Jesus’ shocking death complicated how Joseph regarded him, but Joseph remained convinced Jesus was a good man and, with faith in the resurrection of the dead, still wanted to do a good thing for him. We just heard St. Luke record in his Gospel how Joseph “went to Pilate and asked for the Body of Jesus. After he had taken the Body down, he wrapped it in a linen cloth and laid him in a rock-hewn tomb in which no one had yet been buried.” Joseph did this work of mercy for his friend Jesus and is remembered and honored for having done it to this day.

The holy women at the tomb loved Jesus, too. They came to do him final kindnesses, bringing spices they had prepared for covering his remains. But they never had the chance to complete that funerary rite, for when they arrived at the Easter tomb the body of Jesus was gone. The angels informed them he had “been raised.” Those women had tried to do something good for Jesus that day but he was blessed far more than they had imagined possible.

Connie, Carol, and Diane, you remind me of St. Joseph of Arimathea. We are here for Ken today because of you, his sisters. Despite the complicatedness of your past relationships with Ken, you still wanted to do this good and holy deed for him. You describe Ken as a good, kind, and gentle man. He had his flaws and weaknesses, as all men have, but you also spoke of his beautiful virtues. You love him and you have sought to have our greatest prayer, the Holy Mass, be applied for the good of his soul.

Ken grew up Catholic but many years ago he left the Church to venerate God elsewhere. Now I would caution anyone against that grave and dangerous error, but that mistake does not leave us without hope for Ken’s soul. There is good reason to hope that those Jewish soldiers who died with pagan amulets under their tunics were helped in being cleansed and saved through God’s Old Testament sacrifices. But those rituals only pointed ahead to a greater sacrifice to come. How much more effective for Ken’s eternal soul will be the one sacrifice of Jesus Christ offered in this Holy Mass?

Today, for the first time in my priesthood, I am celebrating a funeral Mass without the presence of the deceased’s person’s remains. But Connie, Carol, and Diane, like those holy women on Easter morning who came together to do good for Jesus though his Body was absent, may God bless your beloved one this day even more greatly than you can imagine.

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Living the Beatitudes Daily — Funeral Homily for Raynelda Jaworski, 96

August 1, 2026

By Fr. Anandan “Rajan” Rajendran

Today we gather with both sorrow and gratitude. We grieve because someone we loved is no longer physically with us. Yet we also gather with hope because our faith tells us that death is not the end. Jesus Christ has conquered death, and through Him eternal life is promised to those who believe. Today we thank God for the beautiful gift of Raynelda Shaurette Jaworski—a woman who lived for more than ninety-six years with faith, courage, generosity, creativity, and love. Her life was long, but more importantly, it was full. It was a life that touched countless hearts.

The first reading from the Book of Ecclesiastes reminds us that everything in this world has its season. There is “a time to be born and a time to die.” These words remind us that our earthly lives are gifts entrusted to us for a time. None of us lives forever in this world, but what truly matters is how we use the time God gives us. Raynelda used her years remarkably well. She was first a loving wife to Stanley, sharing seventy-seven years of marriage and building a home centered on faith. Together they raised ten children on their dairy farm in New Auburn. Farming teaches patience, sacrifice, hard work, and trust in God. Every spring a farmer plants seeds, believing that one day there will be a harvest. Raynelda’s greatest harvest was not measured in acres or milk production but in the beautiful family she nurtured—children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and countless friends whose lives she enriched.

She had an extraordinary gift of making people feel welcomed. Her home was a place where people found warmth, delicious food, laughter, and acceptance. Many of us remember her homemade bread, cookies, kolaczki, and especially her famous “Grandma Pancakes.” Yet what made those meals unforgettable was not simply the food but the love with which they were prepared. She sang, danced, laughed, and filled her kitchen with joy. She understood something very important: love is often expressed in simple, ordinary acts. Jesus Himself often revealed God’s love around a table. Meals became moments of grace. Raynelda followed that same example in her own home.

Her love extended far beyond her own family. As Director of the New Auburn Head Start program, she dedicated herself to helping children and struggling families. Even after raising ten children, she returned to school to earn a certificate in Social Services so she could serve others even better. That says something about her heart. She never stopped learning because she never stopped loving. She served on school boards, educational organizations, community groups, and many volunteer activities. Wherever there was a need, Raynelda was willing to help.

Today’s Gospel gives us the beautiful Beatitudes from the Sermon on the Mount. “Blessed are the poor in spirit… Blessed are the merciful… Blessed are the pure of heart… Blessed are the peacemakers.” These are not simply beautiful sayings. They are the portrait of a Christian disciple. As we reflect on Raynelda’s life, we recognize many of these Beatitudes lived out before our eyes. Blessed are the merciful. She showed mercy by caring for families, comforting neighbors, encouraging friends, and praying daily for others. Blessed are the pure of heart. Her faith was genuine. She attended Mass faithfully, prayed the Rosary, and entrusted every day to God. Blessed are the peacemakers. She united people. Her warmth drew strangers into friendship. Her home became a gathering place where people felt loved. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness. She sought goodness not only in church but in everyday life, serving her community and helping those in need.

The Beatitudes remind us that holiness is not reserved only for saints whose statues stand in churches. Holiness is found in ordinary people who quietly practice extraordinary love every day. Raynelda showed us that holiness can be found in raising children, baking bread, helping neighbors, comforting families, creating beautiful works of art, and faithfully praying each morning. One particularly beautiful part of her life was her artistic talent. She painted, quilted, created pottery, and searched for precious stones across the country. Her large painting of Our Lady of Guadalupe hanging for decades in St. Jude’s Church became a visible sign of her devotion to Mary and her love for beauty. Artists often help us see beauty where others see ordinary things. God is the greatest artist of all, and today we trust that the Artist who created Raynelda has now completed His masterpiece and calls her home.

Our second reading from St. Paul’s Second Letter to the Corinthians offers tremendous comfort. “We know that the One who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also.” Paul continues by comparing our earthly life to a tent. Tents are temporary. They shelter us for a while, but they are not our permanent home. God has prepared for us “a building from God, a dwelling not made with hands, eternal in heaven.” Raynelda’s earthly tent has served her well for ninety-six years. It carried her through motherhood, farming, service, laughter, hardships, celebrations, and prayer. Now that earthly tent has reached its end. But God has prepared something infinitely greater—an eternal home where there is no pain, no suffering, no aging, and no tears.

As Christians, funerals are never simply about looking backward. They are about looking forward with hope. Today we entrust Raynelda to the mercy of God. We believe that the same Jesus who welcomed the little children, who blessed the poor, who comforted the sorrowful, now opens His arms to welcome His faithful servant. To her beloved children, grandchildren, great-grandson, sister, relatives, and many friends: thank you for sharing Raynelda with this community. Her greatest legacy is not only the beautiful paintings she created, the quilts she stitched, or the meals she prepared. Her greatest legacy is the love she planted in each of you. One day, every loaf of bread grows stale, every painting fades, every quilt wears thin, and every farm changes hands. But love never dies. As St. Paul reminds us elsewhere, “Love never fails.” That love continues today because it came from God, and it leads back to God.

Finally, I cannot help but imagine Raynelda arriving at the gates of heaven. Perhaps she is greeted first by Stanley, whom she loved so dearly. Perhaps Matthew comes running to embrace his mother. And perhaps Jesus Himself says the words every faithful disciple longs to hear: “Well done, good and faithful servant. Come, share your Master’s joy.” May that be her reward today. And may her remarkable life remind each one of us to live with deeper faith, greater generosity, joyful service, and unwavering hope, so that one day we may all be reunited in the Father’s house, where every tear will be wiped away and love will last forever.

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

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The Legacy of a Faithful Life — Funeral Homily for Bernadine Sikora, 90

July 18, 2026

By Fr. Anandan “Rajen” Rajendran

My brothers and sisters in Christ, today we gather with heavy hearts, but also with hearts filled with gratitude. We come to pray for Bernadine Sikora, to thank God for the gift of her 90 years of life, and to entrust her to the loving mercy of our Heavenly Father. Whenever we gather for a funeral, there are naturally tears. We miss someone we love. Death leaves an empty chair at the family table, a silence in the home, and an ache in the heart. Yet, as Christians, we do not gather as people without hope.

We gather around the altar of Jesus Christ—the altar where death never has the final word. That is why today’s Gospel begins with these beautiful words of Jesus: “Do not let your hearts be troubled.” Jesus knew that one day his disciples would experience loss. He knew they would stand beside graves, just as we are doing today. So before they even experienced sorrow, he gave them hope.

He said, “In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places.” Notice what Jesus does not say. He does not say life ends in the cemetery. He does not say death is the end. He says there is a home waiting for us. For Christians, death is not moving into darkness; it is moving home. Today, we pray that Bernadine has entered that home prepared by Christ himself.

Our first reading from Proverbs describes “a worthy wife.” The reading tells us, “Her value is far beyond pearls.” It’s interesting that the reading doesn’t praise a woman because she was wealthy or famous. Instead, it praises her because she loved. She worked with willing hands. She cared for her family. She reached out to those in need. She feared the Lord. As we listened to those words, it was hard not to think of Bernadine. She lived those verses. She wasn’t seeking recognition. She simply lived faithfully. She built a home. She supported her husband Donald in the family business. She raised five children with love and sacrifice. She welcomed grandchildren and eventually thirty-six great-grandchildren into her life. What an extraordinary legacy.

Today, we often measure success by titles, promotions, or possessions. God measures success differently. He asks, “Did you love? Did you serve? Did you remain faithful?” Bernadine answered those questions with her life. One of the most beautiful descriptions in her obituary says she was “a homemaker in the truest sense of the word.” That phrase deserves our attention. A house is built with wood, bricks, and nails. A home is built with love. A home is built by countless unseen acts.

Meals prepared, laundry folded, children comforted, prayers whispered, sacrifices no one noticed except God. Many of the greatest things done in this world never make the newspapers. But they are all written in God’s book. God notices every hidden act of love.

The obituary also tells us something very beautiful about Bernadine. She loved simple things—playing Sheepshead with her sisters, playing bingo, being surrounded by family. Those may seem like ordinary moments. But when we look back after someone dies, we discover those ordinary moments become extraordinary memories. Life isn’t made beautiful by grand events. It is made beautiful by shared laughter around a card table, family gatherings, holidays, simple conversations, being together. Those are the treasures that never disappear.

The second reading from Saint Paul is deeply moving. Paul says, “I have competed well. I have finished the race. I have kept the faith.” What wonderful words. Life is not measured only by its length. It is measured by its faithfulness. Bernadine lived 90 years. She experienced joy. She experienced loss. She buried her beloved husband Donald. She endured the heartbreaking deaths of her sons, Jeffrey and Gary. She experienced the sorrow of saying goodbye to brothers, sisters, and loved ones.

Yet, through all those seasons, she remained faithful. That is not easy. Faith isn’t only for sunny days. Real faith shines brightest in difficult days. And Bernadine continued walking with God. She remained active in St. John the Baptist Church. She prayed. She trusted. She believed. Like Saint Paul, we hope she can now hear the Lord say, “Well done, good and faithful servant.” One thing that always amazes me is how one person’s life reaches so many others. Think about it. One woman. Five children. Sixteen grandchildren. Thirty-six great-grandchildren. Imagine all the birthday parties, Christmas celebrations, First Communions, graduations, wedding days, and family reunions. Every one of those lives carries something of Bernadine, perhaps her kindness, perhaps her smile, perhaps her work ethic, perhaps her faith. Love has a way of multiplying across generations. That is her legacy.

I once heard a story about a grandmother who was dying. Her grandchildren asked, “Grandma, are you afraid?” She smiled and said, “Why should I be afraid? I’ve known Jesus all my life. I’m simply going where He has been preparing a room for me.” What beautiful faith. That is exactly what Jesus promises today. “In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places.”

Jesus doesn’t merely point us toward heaven. He says, “I am the way.” Notice he doesn’t say, “I will show you the way.” He says, “I am the way.” Because Christianity is not merely following rules. It is following a person, the person of Jesus Christ. And when we follow Him through this life, He leads us safely into eternal life.

To Bernadine’s family, today is difficult. There is sadness because love always grieves. But remember this, your mother, your grandmother, your great-grandmother has given you far more than memories. She has given you an example. The greatest tribute you can offer her is not only flowers at the cemetery. It is to continue living the faith she treasured. Love your families. Care for one another. Come to Mass. Pray together. Forgive quickly. Remain close to Christ. That would make Bernadine happiest.

As we prepare to celebrate this Holy Eucharist, we place Bernadine into the hands of the God she trusted throughout her life. The same hands that guided her through 90 years, the same hands that welcomed her husband Donald, the same hands that carried her through every joy and sorrow, are now the hands that we trust will receive her into eternal peace. And one day, by God’s grace, we pray that we will hear those same comforting words spoken to us: ‘Do not let your hearts be troubled.’ Because Christ has gone before us. He has prepared a place for us.

And where He is, we too hope to be. May the angels lead Bernadine into paradise. May the saints welcome her. May perpetual light shine upon her. And may she rest in the peace of Christ until that joyful day when we are reunited in the Father’s house, where every tear will be wiped away, and love will never end. Amen.

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Reflecting Our Father — Funeral Homily for Ronald Bischel, 91

July 6, 2026

By Fr. Victor Feltes

In a way, our parents are our first representations of God. For instance, our earthly fathers—for better or worse—serve as icons of God the Father. None of our birth parents were perfect, so our spirituality can be wounded by their sins and shortcomings. But the goodness found in our parents—their virtues and their love—can help reflect who God the Father is. Ron, the father of eight children, was seen loving his farm, his family, and his Faith.

A hardworking dairy farmer, his farm has passed down to his sons. The farm transitioned to exclusively growing crops several years ago and there was sadness at seeing his cowherd go. God the Father, the creator of this earth, treasures his herd, too. David wrote centuries ago, “The Lord is my shepherd.” We are his herd. As another Psalm adds, “We are his people, the sheep of his flock.” Fear not, we are more precious than many cows.

Ron tended to be calmly present, very quiet, and listen, yet he ironically became the family’s so-called “informant.” When his children visited, one by one or in small groups, they told him all the latest about their lives and his twenty grandchildren. Then he in turn, though not in a gossipy way, would update his guests on the family news, keeping them connected to one another through him. “Beloved,” St. John writes, “we are God’s children now.” In Christ, God the Father adopts us as his own. He listens, cares about our lives, and connects us to each other. This relationship makes us brothers and sisters to each other here and now and makes us siblings with a multitude of the living and the dead, most of whom we have never met. But we can look forward to a family reunion of countless millions on the mountain of the Lord that the Prophet Isaiah describes: “On that day it will be said, ‘Behold our God, let us rejoice and be glad he has saved us!’”

Ron was interested in all sorts of subjects; well-read through not just news, farming, or financial publications but also many books. This universe is so endlessly detailed and interesting because heaven and earth are full of God’s glory. With Ron’s strong memory, he could remember details months after reading them. But no matter how sharp, worldly-wise, and learned a person may be, Ron considered these ultimately futile if one did not know God. As a St. Paul’s School alumnus, he sent all of his children to that school as well. He faithfully attended Sunday Mass, and when he could no longer attend he would watch TV Mass and have our Eucharistic Lord brought to him. God the Father is thoroughly interested in us all, and desires closer communion with each of us through his Son and the Holy Spirit.

Jesus praised God our Father, noting that although the wise and learned sometimes fail to perceive spiritual truths, our Father has “revealed these things to the childlike.” Jesus says, “Come to me [and] learn from me. … Whoever has seen me has seen the Father.” And St. Paul adds, “Be imitators of me as I imitate Christ.” Let us pray for Ronald’s soul, for the cleansing of any imperfection which might still distance him from God. And moved by the Holy Spirit, let us look at Christ to behold the best reflection of our heavenly Father. For he “is the image of the invisible God.” And then in him we can be transformed into saints whom others may encounter and see—like they saw in Ronald—an earthly likeness of God.

 

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A Mentor of Love — Funeral Homily for Donald Nielsen, 93

June 1, 2026

By Deacon Dick Kostner

This afternoon, we celebrate the life of a true mentor of the power of love. Our Gospel tells all of the disciples of Jesus that there are rooms that have been reserved for those who have lived out their lives obeying the 11th Commandment that Jesus gave us before he returned to heaven, and that is to love God and our neighbor as Jesus has loved and instructed us. If done, he promises to return to those who have obeyed and take us to our reserved room at the Father’s house.

At one of the TMIY (“That Man Is You”) classes I attended this last year, one of the speakers quoted a homily that Pope John Paul gave to us Christians and within that homily the pope stated that there is only one key that will allow us entry into heaven and that is the key of love. Only those who love God and neighbor will gain entry. During my seventy-plus years on earth, I have been blessed with a list of mentors that have displayed to me the power and happiness that becomes those who have loved as Jesus has loved us. My mom and dad, my wife and son, my priest friends and instructors, and the people of this city and faith community called “The Body of Christ.” Two of them who were instrumental in gifting our community with a hospital we could be proud of and whom I served with as a member of the Board of Directors for some twenty-three years. Those individuals were John Eberle, and the person we honor today, Don Nielsen.

I first came onboard on the hospital board a couple of years after I got out of law school. These two mentors helped me to mature in my youth to recognize the importance of sharing our gift of time to help bring about and keep available for our people a facility that really cared about healing and providing a comfort zone for those of us that needed repair services for our sick and sometimes broken bodies. Don was always one of the first to offer his advice and wisdom to keep our hospital available to our friends and families. There were some tough times we had to make difficult decisions in order to have a medical team supplied to our hospital when the demand for them exceeded the supply. It was out of love that we needed to team up with Luther Hospital and thereafter with Mayo in order to have doctors for our hospital. One of Don’s favorite sayings was that “When life serves us a lemon, we need to use it to make lemonade.” It was through these disciples of love that we still have our hospital. Don’s love for people did not stop with the local hospital but was present when dealing with his car dealership and support for the Bloomer Chamber events and sharing his knowledge and active involvement with financial support for the community business activities and church faith activities.

About a year ago, Don cornered me and said he was concerned that Mayo was helping other hospitals stay up to date but that Bloomer was being forgotten. He questioned our local doctors for their help. It was just last week that I was told that there are plans being made by Mayo to renovate our Hospital and even build some more beds to accommodate more people at our hospital. The demand is great for our hospital to grow and provide more beds and services for neighbors, friends, and families. Before I heard this news Barb and I stopped to visit Don and Phyllis asked Don if he had any words of wisdom to share with us. His response was “Don’t put off until tomorrow what needs to be done now in our life because you never know when you won’t be able to help or enjoy life anymore.” Don died before I could share with him the good news about our hospital, but I bet he and Doctor Eberle are having a cold one together now with Jesus with grins on their face for having loved as Jesus has loved and served us.

Thanks guys for your love, help, and community service. Hope to see you soon! Signed: The Community of Bloomer.

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I Will See You Again — Funeral Homily for Stanley Lang, 19

May 28, 2026

By Fr. Victor Feltes

The evening before Jesus died, John’s Gospel recounts him saying at the Last Supper: “I am going to the one who sent me… But because I told you this, grief has filled your hearts.” Jesus’ disciples, his loved ones, his friends, were understandably concerned and sad to hear of his departure. But Jesus says, “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You have faith in God; have faith also in me.” Jesus tells them again, “Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid. You heard me tell you, ‘I am going away and I will come back to you.’ … And now I have told you this before it happens, so that when it happens you may believe.”

The next day, they were traumatized by his Passion and death. Luke’s Gospel records that “all [of Jesus’] acquaintances stood at a distance… and saw these events.” And they were witnesses to his burial. Perhaps at first, on Good Friday evening, Jesus’ dear ones were too stunned to feel anything but numb. But then, on Holy Saturday, the reality of what had happened probably settled in. They mourned losing him and were left to ask “Why? How could God let an innocent young man die like this? How is that not a senseless and pointless death?” That might be how we feel today on this day of Stanley’s funeral.

Stanley’s parents tell me he valued the Holy Scriptures, attending a Bible study in high school. He probed the things of God, asking his folks tough religious questions — not looking for excuses but to better understand our Faith. Devoted to worshiping God, he expressed disappointment rather than delight on those rare occasions when circumstances kept his family from attending Sunday Mass. And he desired fellowship with God’s saints, departing from us wearing a St. Francis of Assisi medal around his neck. Why would God allow his beloved friend to die so young?

Reflecting upon Jesus’ Passion and death, we wonder at the mystery of how an innocent 33-year-old being whipped, crucified, and murdered achieves the forgiveness of our sins. Yet it is revealed to us that through patiently endured trials — trials a person would prefer to avoid like a cup of soured wine — God’s holy ones are exalted and our world is saved.

Consider the patron saint of this parish, St. Paul. St. Paul the Apostle is not our Savior and Lord, yet Jesus Christ involves him in his saving work. Because Paul was willing to preach, new peoples were reached. Because Paul bore great sufferings, Christ’s salvation came to others. As Paul wrote to the Colossians: “I now rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ on behalf of his body, which is the Church…” By faithfully enduring and dying how and when he did, he entered into heaven’s greater glory.

In the words of the Book of Wisdom: “If before men, indeed [God’s own seem] punished, yet is their hope full of immortality; Chastised a little, they shall be greatly blessed, because God tried them and found them worthy of himself. As gold in the furnace, he proved them, and as sacrificial offerings he took them to himself. [And] they shall shine…” Our faithful sufferings, our prayers and penances, our labors, losses and dyings, when mystically united to Christ’s, transform us and help save others. This is called redemptive suffering, and while not yet answering every “why,” it changes how Christians see our pains and tragedies in life.

Jesus Christ came to the aid of humanity with his divinity, fashioning for us a remedy out of mortality itself, that the cause of our downfall might become the means of our salvation. As he told his disciples the night before he died, “So you also are now in anguish. But I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy away from you.” Though Jesus’ disciples mourned and questioned on Holy Saturday, a brief time later, with Easter’s resurrection, they joyfully saw their beloved one again. This is our Christian faith and our consoling hope and Jesus Christ’s promise regarding Stanley too.

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Comfort To My People — Funeral Homily for Deon Zwiefelhofer, 61

May 22, 2026

By Fr. Victor Feltes

Isaiah the Prophet proclaimed: “‘Comfort, give comfort to my people,’ says your God.” In light of Deon’s passing, on this day of her funeral, may my words give you comfort. With the coming of Pentecost Sunday, we recall how Jesus assured us: “I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate [or “Comforter”] to be with you always… You know him (the Holy Spirit), because he remains with you and will be in you.”

How do we know the Holy Spirit is with us? One sign of this St. Paul gives to the Corinthians is how “no one can say, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ except by the Holy Spirit.” Another sign of the Holy Spirit’s presence is how he moves us to cry out to God the Father like Jesus did. St. Paul tells the Galatians: “As proof that you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying out, ‘Abba, Father!’” And St. Paul tells the Romans: “You received a Spirit of adoption through whom we cry, ‘Abba, Father!’ The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if only we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him.” St. John confirms in his first New Testament letter that we have become the children of God, writing: “See what love the Father has bestowed on us that we may be called the children of God. Yet so we are. Beloved, we are God’s children now; what we shall be has not yet been revealed. We do know that when it is revealed we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.”

Jesus came to earth as man so that we could enjoy his eternal life and become more like him. St. Matthew describes how before preaching his Sermon on the Mount, “when Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain, and after he had sat down, his disciples came to him.” This is not merely recording a historical detail; it foreshadows our joining Jesus on his holy mountain one day. Jesus has ascended and is now seated at the right hand of the Father, and his disciples will come to him. The Prophet Isaiah tells us that: “On this mountain the Lord of hosts will provide for all peoples. …He will destroy death forever. The Lord God will wipe away the tears from all faces. On that day it will be said: ‘Behold our God, to whom we looked to save us! This is the Lord for whom we looked; let us rejoice and be glad that he has saved us!’”

I am told that when family would visit Deon’s home she would often send them on their way with food, usually baked goods, as a gift of her love. Likewise, when we come here to Jesus’ house he sends us forth with the gift of his most precious Food. At this and every Holy Eucharist, you can pray for Deon’s soul (to aid her in any purification) and renew your profession that Jesus is your Lord and that God is your Father. Allied with Jesus Christ and led by the Holy Spirit, we can all go up to God the Father where we will experience full consolation. Ours will be the Kingdom of Heaven and we will be comforted. We will inherit the earth as well and we will be satisfied. We will be shown mercy and we will see God. We will be the children of God and we will rejoice and be glad, for after the trials and hardships of this life our reward will be great in heaven.

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Lived Beatitudes — Funeral Homily for John Wagner, 87

April 16, 2026

By Fr. Brian Ward

We are united in prayer for John’s soul and for all who mourn his passing. Today, as we remember John, we recall a man who always took pride in his work and in serving his community. John was a skilled mason and a craftsman, building not only with his hands, but with his heart—creating pieces for his family that will be treasured for generations. He gave his time as a reserve police officer, an ambulance driver, and a volunteer fireman, always willing to step forward to help his neighbors. He served on the city council, taught safety to young people, and was always ready to visit with friends or offer a helping hand to children in need, especially because he remembered what it was like to be in foster care himself. John dearly loved his wife Darlene, his daughters Nancy and Cindy, his grandchildren and great-grandchildren, and all his family. He quietly lived out his faith, and was a longtime parishioner here at St. Paul’s, showing by his actions the love and mercy of Christ to those around him. And so, as we gather in sorrow, we also turn to the words of Jesus in today’s Gospel, from Matthew chapter 5—the Beatitudes. Jesus says: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven… Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy… Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.” These words describe the kind of life John lived: humble, merciful, and always seeking to bring peace and help to others.

Today we remember John’s kindness, his dedication, and his love. We also remember the promise of Christ: that death is not the end. In this Easter season, we celebrate that Christ, by rising from the dead, has triumphed over death forever. Because John believed in Christ, death holds no power over him. Christ’s victory is John’s victory, and we trust that he now shares in the promise of eternal life. And the hope for ourselves is to do the same, by living out our faith by being faithful Catholics and Christians who love Christ.

And how did John believe, trust, and follow Jesus Christ? He lived out the Beatitudes each day—showing mercy in his actions, generosity with his time, and steadfast love for his family and community. May John now rest in the peace of Christ and dwell forever in the house of the Lord.

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We Are Awaiting — Funeral Homily for Mary Ann Loew, 80

April 2, 2026

By Deacon Daniel Rider

Spring is slow in coming this year. Warm days followed by snowstorms. We are still waiting for spring to arrive. Mary Ann was blessed to have Art. sixty years of marriage, and was blessed with four children. Mary Ann and Art did their best to live out their marriage vows. For better or for worse, in sickness and in health, ’til death do us part. Yet something just doesn’t seem right. Most men expect to die first. They won’t be the one left behind. After Mary Ann’s accident Art became the caregiver, taking care of Mary Ann through all her needs. Letting her know he would be there no matter what. But now it’s over. It seems so final.

When I was in college, in one class we were asked to come up with a definition of God. The one we came with was, “God is the one who has the last word.” In our readings from Psalm 23 and from Revelation we see a vision of the future. God’s vision for us. Even though I walk through that dark valley where no hope lives, you are with me, leading to a better place, into the heavenly banquet. A place where there is no more mourning, or pain, or tears, or death. This is Jesus promise, from the one who has the last word. A word greater than Satan or the world, or death.

From the cross it looked like Satan and the world had won, but three days later God had the last word. We need to see death through God’s eyes. Mary Ann felt she was ready for the end of her life because she knew the answer to the question we hear Jesus asking Martha in our Gospel reading for today. Jesus told her. “I am the resurrection and the life; whoever believes in me, even if he dies, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?”

All of us, sooner or later, will be confronted with this question. All of us will face the reality of death, whether our own or that of someone close to us. Death has a way of confronting our faith by revealing our fears, our doubts, our attachments to this world, and our ultimate powerlessness. Yet, Jesus wants us to face death, in all its mystery , and allow the Holy Spirit to remove its sting. The challenge that death presents to us is whether we will trust in Jesus and his promise of resurrection.

In today’s Gospel we find Martha and Mary struggling with this question as they deal with the death of their brother. We find them find them feeling grief and hopelessness, and they ask the same questions all of us do. “Why” and “If only” We know these doubts and feelings. How often have we said, “Lord, where were you when we needed you?” Yet the Gospel shows us that Jesus is with us in those times of need. The Jesus we see in this Gospel is one who cares, who feels pain and sorrow at the death of his friend. Jesus is troubled. The incarnate Son of God weeps. In Him we see God, not distant and removed from our pain and doubts, but a God who is with us in our sadness and grief. Jesus is the man of sorrows, who knows our pain, and bears it to the point of his own tears.

But Jesus does more than feel our pain; he is there to show us that there is something more. There is hope. Hope in the resurrection and new life. Jesus came to Martha and Mary to bring them hope. Resurrection is God’s future coming to us in our present lives to bring hope to us today. When we are hopeless and surrounded by death, when our future looks dark, God comes to us in Jesus, bringing life and hope out of death. It was Jesus bringing hope that caused Martha, even before Jesus showed his power through Lazarus, to make her confession, “You are the Christ, the Son of God, the One who is coming into the world.” It is Martha’s conversion of heart and confession of faith that all of us are called to. That even in the most difficult circumstances of life we can know that Jesus is there to bring life out of death and hope from despair.

As we go through life Jesus wants to be right there with us, speaking words of comfort and bringing the Gospel of life and hope to us in a new and powerful way. And the greatest gift he wants to give us can be stated in one sentence. “Christ has died, Christ is risen, Christ will come again.” These ten words about Jesus are filled with hope and promise for us because we have been baptized into Jesus’ own death and resurrection. Because Jesus died for all of us, we can be free from sin, both now and when we face judgment. When Jesus rose, he overcame death not just for himself but for everyone.

There can be no spring without the cold of winter, no sunrise without the darkness of night. The pain and suffering of Good Friday must precede the triumph of Easter. Martha experienced this in the death of her brother, as she passed through the dark valley of doubt and grief. That dark valley where no hope lives. And she experienced the hope and promise of Jesus bringing life out of that darkness as she came to see him as the Son of God, the One who is coming into the world.

We are waiting for the arrival of spring, but for Mary Ann, Easter came a little early this year.

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He Is Only Asleep — Funeral Homily for William “Bill” Sarauer, 82

February 28, 2026

By Fr. Victor Feltes

One spring afternoon many years ago, Bill took a nap. Bill always took an afternoon nap and he took this particular nap seated inside of his truck. He was quietly parked at the end of the farm’s driveway as he waited alongside the country road for people to show up. That’s when he felt like, as he would say, “just resting my eyes.” Around a quarter to four, his granddaughter Amanda arrived home from school. Seeing him inside, she knocked on the truck window and kept knocking, at least three different times, but grandpa didn’t move. So Amanda not-unreasonably concluded: “He’s dead.” A call was placed to 9-1-1 and an ambulance was summoned, but before the medics could arrive on scene the truck door was opened from outside and a startled, groggy Bill nearly tumbled out. Bill was not dead. He was only sleeping.

Jesus once remarked the same thing about a 12-year-old girl. The daughter of Jairus had just died from an illness, but when Jesus arrived at the house he said the mourners, “Why all this commotion and weeping? Go, for the child is not dead but sleeping.” They mocked Jesus because they knew she was dead, but once he had them put outside he took the dead girl’s hand and said, “Talitha koum,” which means, “Little girl, I say to you, arise!” The girl rose up immediately and Jesus gave her to her amazed parents.

On a different occasion, Jesus received word that his friend Lazarus was gravely ill, but Jesus stayed put for a couple of days. Then he said to his disciples, “Let us go back to Judea. … Our friend Lazarus is asleep, but I am going to awaken him.” So the disciples replied, “Master, if he is asleep, he will be saved!” But Jesus was referring to death while they thought he meant ordinary sleep, so Jesus told them clearly: “Lazarus has died. And I am glad for you that I was not there that you may believe. Let us go to him.” When Jesus arrived at Lazarus’ tomb, where he had been dead four days, Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” And the dead man shuffled out resurrected, still wrapped in his burial cloths.

Likening death to natural sleep was not original to Jesus in the Gospels. The Prophet Daniel, for instance, foretold that “many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake. Some shall live forever, [while] others shall be an everlasting horror and disgrace.” And the 1st Book of Kings records how King David, author of our 23rd Psalm, “rested/slept with his ancestors and was buried in [Jerusalem].” The Book of Acts narrates the death of Stephen the Martyr by saying “he fell asleep,” and the New Testament epistles frequently use “falling asleep” as an image for dying. For example, St. Paul reassures the Thessalonians: “We do not want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters, about those who have fallen asleep, so that you may not grieve like the rest, who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose, so too will God, through Jesus, bring with him those who have fallen asleep.”

Why do the Inspired Scriptures and Jesus Christ use falling asleep as an image for death? Because our death is only temporary. Under ordinary circumstances, we do not fear to go to sleep at night because we reawaken every morning. We are not terrified to take a nap because we soon wake again, hopefully, renewed. Dying is like falling asleep because natural death is not the end for us. We are promised resurrection.

Jesus tells us a parable about ten virgins. As they await the arrival of a long-delayed Bridegroom, they all become drowsy and fall asleep. Then at midnight, the darkest hour, a cry goes out that awakens them all: “Behold, the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!” Five are wise and have oil ready for their lamps but five are foolish and have not prepared. While the wise ones rejoice with the Bridegroom inside his wedding feast, the foolish ones are barred outside. This Bridegroom is Jesus, who warns us to be prepared for his return, “for you know neither the day nor the hour.”

Bill’s family describes him as “an amazing husband” of almost sixty years and “a perfect dad.” “He was selfless, hardworking, and steady,” a “good and faithful servant.” A man of Catholic faith and prayer; not one to complain but to instead pray harder. And Bill was well-prepared to die. Daily near the end he said so. “I’m ready to go home.” Pray for Bill’s soul—to aid him wherever needed—but please also learn from his example.

Unless Christ the Bridegroom returns first, each of us is going to die. But before we fall asleep, the wise among us will prepare to meet our Lord. Practicing proper devotion toward God and our neighbors reflects us tending to the oil of our faith and flame of our love. Prioritize this care of your lamp, so that when Jesus Christ appears you will be ready and eager to greet him. Bill has died, but he is only sleeping. And one day we will reawaken with him to the Resurrection. So tend to your life’s precious lamp, the oil of your faith and the flame of your love, so that when Jesus Christ the Bridegroom comes, we may all greet each other with joy.

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Born to Die & Rise — Funeral Homily for Matthew “Matt” Jaworski, 63

December 23, 2025

By Fr. Victor Feltes

In one sense, no date on the calendar is a good time for a funeral. Any day for a loved one’s funeral rites will feel off, discordant. But today, on this eve of Christmas Eve, it feels like an especially strange time to have Matt’s funeral. We will soon be marking the glorious birth of Baby Jesus — how God becomes man and lives among us. We rightly celebrate that as one of the most joyous feasts of the year. But the life and joy of Christmas seems to be stark contrast with the loss and sadness of today. And yet it may be said that Jesus Christ “was born to die.” If Jesus Christ, the God-Man, had lived without ever becoming our redeeming sacrifice, we would still remain hostages to Satan, sin, death, and suffering forever. Instead, God the Father “did not spare his own Son but handed him over for us all.”

The signs of Christ’s salvific mission were there from the beginning. The very name “Jesus” (or “Yeshua”) means “God Saves.” He was born in the hometown of David the shepherd-king, at Bethlehem, from where lambs to be sacrificed at the temple came. Jesus would go on to be sacrificed as our Good Shepherd-King, at Jerusalem, as the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. On Christmas night, his Mother Mary wrapped his body in cloth and laid him down inside a borrowed cave. Years later on Good Friday, she would wrap his body in cloth again and lay his body down inside another borrowed cave. Jesus’ Christmas birth and Easter resurrection, these sources for our hope, did not come without difficult trials.

The first Christmas was not easy but the Holy Family was always in God’s care. Imagine being poor, being far from home, and having your first child in a place for animals. Yet Mary and Joseph carried faith and peace within them, from the words and miracles from heaven recorded in salvation history and experienced in their own lives. Jesus Christ’s young and unexpected death stunned those who knew and loved him; however, even that awful day was foreseen in heaven’s providence. God’s Beloved One was remembered and soon would rise again. Blessed were those who mourned for him and prayed for him, for they were soon comforted. Matt’s unexpected passing saddens and a day like this is always painful. But we carry faith and hope from God, for Matt—for whom we pray—and for every one of us. Though God’s beloved one must pass through Good Friday, Christmas leads us to Easter joy.

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Imitate What They Contain — Funeral Homily for Mary Jo Meuli, 83

October 14, 2025

By Fr. Victor Feltes

Mary Jo lived with a special devotion to our spiritual mother, the Blessed Virgin Mary, and she looked forward to journeying beyond death to be with our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Besides coming to Holy Mass and helping bring Christ in Holy Communion to others, Mary Jo prayed the Holy Rosary daily, sometimes several times a day, growing her in her Christian likeness to Jesus and Mary. When a person picks up the practice of the Rosary for the first time, much of one’s attention is focused on tracking the beads and remembering the prayers. But with more experience, the words and the beads can drift to the background, clearing a place for meditation on its Holy Mysteries.

These twenty mysteries of the Rosary help us reflect upon joyful, luminous, sorrowful, and glorious episodes from salvation history. Mary is a firsthand witness to about three-fourths of these events. So for instance, we can contemplate Jesus with Mary at the Nativity and hold the Baby Jesus in our arms. We can consider how much Jesus loves us to become incarnate as one like us, and be moved to love him in return. We can stand with Mary at the Crucifixion, at the foot of Jesus’ Cross, and share in her compassion for her Beloved Son. We can behold Jesus’ heroic virtues in his sufferings for us, refusing to spare himself, and resolve to do hard things for him in return.

Prayerfully meditating upon the Rosary helps us to become more like Jesus and Mary. The same is true with the Beatitudes. Who is poor in spirit, relying completely on God? Who mourns and meekly, non-violently, hungers and thirsts for what is right? Who is merciful and clean of heart? Who promotes peace, yet is persecuted for the sake of righteousness? Jesus and Mary and the saints are like this, and we are called to be like them. As St. Paul our patron says, “Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ” so that we may “conquer overwhelmingly through him who loved us.” And God will help us do so, if we give him our “Yes.”

In her final season of living with illness, Mary Jo told every new doctor she met: “I’m ready.” And thirteen years to the day after her husband Allan’s death, she passed on as well. Pray for Mary Jo’s soul, in case any impurity remains within her gold, so that as a perfect offering God may take her to himself. And learn from her example, for blessed are those who grow in the likeness of Jesus and Mary and the saints, ‘for their reward will be great in Heaven.’

Posted in Blessed Virgin Mary, Christian Perfection, Funeral Homilies, Homily, Jesus Christ, Rosary, Saintly People | Leave a Comment »

Heavenly Feasts — Funeral Homily for Angeline “Angie” Rihn, 98

July 1, 2025

By Fr. Victor Feltes

One theme in Angie’s earthly life, from the stories her family shares about her, is meals: the meals she prepared and the meals she shared. The meals on the farm with Herman and their children always began with a prayer, thanking the Lord and asking for his blessings. And her spouse would always praise her cooking with compliments, like calling it “A meal fit for a king!” On the farm, with the animals they raised and the produce they grew and often canned, there was never a need to buy any food. For holidays such as Christmas and Thanksgiving, Angie would cook for days. Three rooms of their farmhouse a couple miles out of town would be filled with tables and chairs for guests. Angie would always have guests over for a meal. For example, her beloved grandkids could show up anytime to enjoy sharing a meal with her. As a leader in the parish Altar-Rosary Society, she headed the organizing of funeral luncheons. And with unfaltering faith, she never skipped our Lord’s feast of the Holy Mass.

Scripture often speaks of our God preparing feasts. The Prophet Isaiah foretells that the Lord God on his holy mountain will “provide a feast for all peoples of rich food and choice wines, of juicy, rich food and pure, choice wines.” King David pens the 23rd Psalm saying of the Lord, “You spread the table before me in the sight of my foes. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.” Jesus declares to his apostles, “I confer a Kingdom on you, just as my Father has conferred one on me, that you may eat and drink at my table in my Kingdom….” And Jesus announces “many will come from the east and the west, and will recline with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob at the banquet in the Kingdom of Heaven….” During the heavenly visions of the Book of Revelation, an angel tells St. John “Write this: Blessed are those who have been called to the wedding feast of the Lamb,” adding, “These words are true; they come from God.”

Are these prophesies about eating and drinking in the Kingdom of Heaven literally true? Jesus says in his Sermon on the Mount: “Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied,” but that is metaphorical language. And how could we eat foods or drink drinks after death separates our souls from our bodies? But we must remember that our well-founded Christian hope is not only for an eternal afterlife for our souls but also a physical resurrection of our bodies one day. Recall how St. Luke reports that the Resurrected Jesus in the Upper Room on Easter Sunday asked, “‘Have you anything here to eat?’ They gave him a piece of baked fish; he took it and ate it in front of them.” Why does Jesus eat with his resurrected body? It was not because of hunger, for his glorified body has no need of such nourishment. He ate as a demonstration for the apostles and us that he is not a ghost or mirage but truly risen again. But then why does Jesus eat again later, as recorded by St. John, when he had breakfast with seven disciples along the Sea of Galilee? Since the fact of his resurrection was already firmly established, it appears it simply pleased him to share a meal with them. So ‘feasting in God’s Kingdom’ appears to be more than merely a metaphor.

After the Resurrection of the dead, once our souls reunite with our bodies, many will come from east and west and recline with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob for the Lord’s promised feast. A supper not of necessity but of joy, with delights not merely from fine food and drink but from sharing the fond table fellowship of God and his friends. Angie’s delight in preparing meals reflected our Lord’s delight in preparing meals for us: at every Mass and in the world to come. Angie rejoiced to have family and friends flock to her feast like our Lord longs for us to join him for his feast, too. So pray for Angie’s soul, that she may be perfectly purified, and let us live our lives faithfully so as to be well-prepared to one day take our places at the banquet in the Kingdom of God.

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Fly High — Funeral Homily for Elle Jo Kramschuster, 24

June 5, 2025

By Fr. Victor Feltes

Elle’s loved ones will remember many beautiful things about her. In her, seemingly contradictory personality traits are joined. Young but old-souled. A center of attention not looking for attention. Initially the quietest person in a room but who, once comfortable, becomes its biggest presence. Never an early-riser, except to see the sunrise. A world-traveler who loves being back home with family and friends the most. Elle took some twenty-two jet flights, mostly in the last five years, to places like Colorado, Texas, Dubai, or Sri Lanka. She would say, “Happiness is a flight away.” But her favorite thing was being home, having everyone together. For instance, at the annual family rendezvous in Hayward her favorite thing was waking up and everyone being there. Today, we are all gathered here to mourn Elle’s passing and pray for her soul.

Last week, Christ’s Church around the world celebrated the Ascension of Jesus into Heaven. Many places marked this event last Thursday, while others transferred the celebration to Sunday. It is a bittersweet feast day. After spending forty days with Jesus after his Easter Resurrection, his disciples watch him fly into the sky until a cloud takes him from their sight, symbolizing his entry into Heaven. Jesus tells his disciples it is better that he goes. They are given assurances that he will visibly return again someday. And Jesus promises them, “Behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age.” Yet this time of visible separation is still a sad thing.

Jesus understands this. He knows our human loves, joys, and sorrows, for he is not only truly God but truly man. As Pope Francis wrote, “The eternal Son of God, in his utter transcendence, chose to love each of us with a human heart.” Jesus possesses “genuine human emotions and feelings like ourselves, albeit fully transformed by his divine love. … Entering into the heart of Christ, we feel loved by a human heart filled with affections and emotions like our own.” As much as you love Elle, realize that our Good Lord Jesus Christ loves her even more.

“Do not let your hearts be troubled,” he says. ‘Have faith in God; have faith in me.’ Christ is our Good Shepherd. Sweet Elle’s passing from this world is not the end of her story, any more than Jesus’ bodily Ascension was the end of his. Though she has a beautiful soul, earnestly pray for Elle, that the Lord may purify whatever remains imperfect in her so that she may ascend to glory, too. One day, the friends of God will awaken to a new and endless day, rising again in joy at having all of us together. Elle, you are loved, both on earth and in Heaven, where God’s family gathers. Happiness is a flight away. Fly high, Elle.

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A Christian Philosopher–Engineer — Funeral Homily for William “Bill” Hable, 87

June 5, 2025

By Fr. Aro (Arockiaraj Paristham)

“There is a time for everything. A time to be born, and a time to die. A time to weep, and a time to laugh. A time to mourn, and a time to dance.” This is the time to celebrate the death of our beloved William, who is known as Bill. A man who lived a full life, pleasing God and people.

Dear brothers and sisters, we have gathered together today to say goodbye to our brother Bill, whose life has touched us all in profound ways. It is said that he was an engineer who rooted in science but he saw himself as a philosopher first. If you asked him what the time is, he would tell you how a clock worked. As we reflect on his journey, it is comforting to turn to the words of Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount, particularly the Beatitudes in the gospel. These words offer hope in times of sorrow, pointing us toward the deep truths of God’s love and the promise of eternal life. Jesus says, “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.” (Matthew 5:4) In this moment of loss, we are mourning the passing of Bill, someone who meant so much to all of us especially the family members. Bill cherished spending time with his loved ones and instilled a strong sense of self-reliance in his family. Mourning is a natural response to love, when we lose someone dear, we feel the deep void their absence creates. But Jesus promises us comfort. He assures us that in our grief, God is close to us, offering His presence, His peace, and His comfort. As we mourn, we can hold on to the promise that God sees our tears and walks with us in our sorrow.

Jesus also says, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.” (Matthew 5:3) This verse reminds us that humility and dependence on God bring us closer to His Kingdom. Bill in his lifetime was simple and humble person. He always admitted his mistakes. One of his favorite quotes was “show me a person who has not made a mistake and I’ll show you a person who has not done much.” Bill may have shown us what it means to be poor in spirit, whether through acts of kindness, quiet strength, or a deep faith in God. When we are humble, we recognize our need for God, and He promises to meet us with His grace. Today, we remember that Bill now rests in the presence of God, in the Kingdom of heaven, where there is no more pain or suffering.

Jesus also says, ‘Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.’ (Matthew 5:8) Purity of heart is a quality of those who seek God with sincerity, love others selflessly, and live with integrity. As we reflect on Bill’s life, we may see the ways in which he lived with a pure heart, perhaps through his love for family. Bill was known for his quiet sensitivity and steadfast loyalty, always offering support to those around him. He was a loving husband to his wife, Judy, for many joyful years. Because of his pure heart and compassion for others, and unwavering faith, now, Bill has seen God face-to-face, and he dwells in the fullness of God’s glory.

Jesus says, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.” (Matthew 5:9) Peacemaking is more than the absence of conflict; it is the active pursuit of reconciliation, love, and unity. Bill was a problem solver and he wanted his children to be problem solvers like himself. If Bill was someone who brought people together, mended relationships, or simply offered a calming presence in times of difficulty, we honor that legacy today. In the Kingdom of God, they are now embraced as a beloved child of God, resting in perfect peace. Bill will be remembered for his unwavering love and dedication to family and friends.

Let us be grateful to God for him in our lives as family or relative or a friend. Let us try to follow one of the good values that we learned from our beloved Bill which touched our lives and carry it over. Let us continue our prayer for his soul rest in peace and for the family to have comfort and hope and faith.

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