“Everyone can decide to come out of this funeral a little better”
Why are we here? So numerous, so different, so painful, pressed against each other, around Loïc, Blandine and their children, next to your body, Philippine? For what?
The first answer, which we can all share, believers and non-believers, is that we are here to cry.
Faced with the mystery of evil, before the unbearable injustice and the violence that has been unleashed, we are stunned, as if crushed. Of course, human justice will be necessary. His time will come. But today, we need to cry, to share and to lay down together our pain, our anger, our incomprehension. We can place it here, at the foot of the Cross, because we believe that God understands all of this. God shares all of this. God is never on the side of evil, but always on the side of those who are tested. Jesus who wept over the death of his friend Lazarus – we believe, we Christians, in a God who wept! – Jesus who faced the martyrdom of the cross, Jesus who loves us as we are, Jesus understands us and welcomes us with our immense pain.
Under his gaze, in the heart of these tears, we can at the same time raise a thanksgiving towards God, and towards Philippine the expression of our gratitude. Because there, with you Philippine, all those who knew and loved you, become more aware than ever of what was beautiful and true in your life, of what they received from you, lived a beautiful life with you. It is precious, my friends, that each of you takes these days in silence or prayer, the time to remember, the time to reread these moments lived with Philippine. You will then understand more than ever how much Philippine’s life was a gift from God to you… Then, mixed with your tears, you will be able to raise this prayer of praise: “Thank you God, thank you for having given me Philippine as a daughter, as sister, as a friend, as a comrade, Lord, allow all that was beautiful in her life to bear fruit in our lives.
Yes, I believe it: because Philippine had learned in her family, in her parish, within the scouts and guides of France the joy of believing, of loving and of serving, her time on earth, even if it is so much too short, too brief in our eyes, will have its fertility and will bear fruit, like the grain of wheat fallen into the ground of which the gospel speaks…
Why are we here? We are also here to pray, to try to pray.
Philippine you had faith, you believed that Jesus gave his life for each of us. So that in our lives, neither our sin, nor the evil that affects us, nor even death can have the last word. That’s why we are here. Because, following you, we also want to accept this promise from Jesus: “I gave my life so that you may have life in fullness.” We want to cling to this hope that Jesus gives us, as we cling to an anchor so as not to sink or drift. Yes, in praying for you, in bringing you before God, Philippine, we hope and we believe that the Lord welcomes you in his peace, in the joy of Heaven, that with Him you no longer suffer, and that you know this perfect happiness for which we were created, this happiness that no evil can henceforth reach or damage, this eternal joy for which we all thirst, for which you thirsted and which the joys of your life announced. We are here, clinging to this hope which also promises us that there will one day be a reunion. We’ll see you again, Philippine. This hope does not prevent our tears, but it enlightens them.
Philippine, to nourish your faith, so that this faith enlightens your life, you came to mass on Sundays, you liked to come to the parish prayer group, you lived your faith in action with your friends, particularly in scouting. Of course, like each of us, you had your faults, your struggles, your doubts and your limits… but you believed in God’s forgiveness, you knew you were loved by Him. We pray for you, Philippine. But please also pray for us, for all those who mourn you. May everyone discover that they too are loved by God, that all may welcome this promise of reunion, that all may cling to this anchor of hope. Watch over our faith, Philippine. Watch over our hope. May she enlighten us in this darkness. This is your mission from now on, Philippine…
Finally, we are here to cry, to pray and… to act. We too each have a mission. We don’t want evil to have the last word. We want to believe that Jesus conquered death, so that those who welcome this victorious Love can receive eternal life. But now we can respond to this evil by turning it against itself. How ? By making this drama, this terrible ordeal, the occasion for a start, the opportunity to grow resolutely, generously and courageously in our life, in the way of living it fully, of giving it, in our desire to serve and to love. We want to oppose Evil, its violence and its ugliness, with the strength of our love, our hope, our faith, and the beauty of our unity. We want to respond to the horror of evil with the even greater force of good, the good that we can do by committing ourselves, each in our own way, each according to our vocation, to serve. Serving the smallest, the youngest, the poorest or the most fragile; concretely serve our country, our parishes, in our schools and colleges. Commit ourselves to more justice and more peace, to announce the gospel and console the afflicted. Once again, justice will do its job. This is definitely necessary, but it is not enough.
Each of us can also decide here that something will change in our life these days. Everyone can decide to emerge a little better from this funeral, so that the world is a better place: we can emerge with a more generous heart, a more fervent and faithful soul, a greater desire to serve, to love and to believe. We can all find a step to take, a step further. For example, a reconciliation to be experienced with a loved one, for example truly saying and showing our trust or our love to those who need it, starting with our parents, our children, our friends, those entrusted to us… For example , dare to embark on this project that awaits us or take control of this or that aspect of our life that has been somewhat neglected… begin or find a path towards God or towards others… decide to engage in such or such service, training or movement… visiting or caring for those who are alone, sick, elderly or isolated… choosing to dare to speak truthfully among friends and lifting oneself up… deciding to return, even poorly, to prayer, to confess or return to mass… dare to share this faith which inspires many of us, even if it is sometimes fragile or mixed with doubts… no longer waste time, and develop our talents in the service of others or those greater than ourselves …resuming an internal battle in which we had become discouraged, getting back up and choosing to let ourselves be helped… In short. Everyone will be able to discern! But let’s not return to the course of life without anything changing… I promise you: with the help of God and good friends, those in Heaven and those on earth, we are all capable of a small step or a big step towards more good. If in a year, five years or ten years, everyone can say: this tragedy shocked me but also awakened me, the example of Philippine made me grow and encouraged me, on the occasion of her departure, I I chose to move forward and commit myself… so yes, evil will not have won, we will have crossed it and overcome it, led by Philippine, and all our big brothers and big sisters from Heaven, our first in line …
I end, Philippine, by entrusting you in particular with your family and your friends, and with all these young people present here in this cathedral. All these young people who are touched by your sudden departure, by the luminous young girl that you were, by your simply lived faith… You are now their big sister from Heaven. Encourage them in their joys, their sorrows and their struggles. Give everyone the opportunity to serve, believe and love in turn with all the generosity of which he or she is capable. Help all these young people to discover how much they are loved by God, unconditionally, whatever their history or their fragilities. Because it is when we know we are loved that we become capable of the best!
O Virgin Mary, Our Lady of Scouts, whom scouts and guides love to sing and pray, tenderly welcome Philippine to Jesus. Watch over us, Virgin Mary, be for us the one who consoles and hopes, while waiting for Easter morning… Be the star that guides us in the night, towards the coming dawn. Virgin Mary, you to whom Jesus entrusted us before dying, encourage everyone here to make their lives beautiful, given, committed… so that the world understands that evil has not won, and that it will not win Never. So that the world understands, thanks to Philippine, that serving, believing and loving will always bear fruit. So that everyone learns that beyond the joys and tears of this time, beautiful reunions and great Love await us!
AMEN
Father Pierre-Hervé Grosjean, Parish Priest of Montigny-Voisins le Bretonneux.
