Funeral Homily - Enas Patros

Brother Priests, brothers and Sisters, friends and family, we gather together today to pray on behalf of our sister and daughter of our faith, Enas Patros

When encountering a day difficult like today, we are often left speechless with very little to say. We are left in silence.

When we look at the Scriptures, Silence is seen in a few moments:

Once when Christ is born, a silence is across the entire room as they look upon the infant Jesus in awe, that the Messiah, who is God the Lord, has taken flesh and become a small, weak infant.

Another moment of silence when Jesus breathes his last breaths on the Cross on Good Friday.

Once at the beginning of life and another at the sorrowful, bitter end of life.

The reason why the moments become so characterized by silence is because it happens so suddenly.

He lived 30 simple and quiet years. Three years he circled the world of Israel in his public ministry.

And beginning from Wednesday, the poison of sin had entered and Jesus was betrayed. Thursday he was arrested and Friday he tasted the bitter and sorrowful death.

Everything that Jesus had done. Everything that he was. All the hope for the future and what he will do ALL ENDED IN A FEW DAYS.

Think of our Blessed Mother who was announced to her by the angel gabriel. How she witnessed the son she taught to take his first steps then walk on water, was now walking the way of the cross. The Blessed Mother, mother of divine grace, witnessed the eternal son take his last breaths so suddenly.

The silence that takes over the world is heavy. Its packed with so many emotions. But the silence does not necessarily mark the end.

There is a time when this silence will end.

Saint Paul encourages the people of God to encourage each other with his words. The words of the truth that speak life to those who believe.

1 Thessalonians 4:15–18 (RSVCE): For this we declare to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, shall not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the archangel’s call, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first; 17 then we who are alive, who are left, shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air; and so we shall always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore comfort one another with these words.

This is given to us as truth and hope. We have seen the example of this truth and hope in Christ himself.

Yes, the suffering and death he experience was so abrupt, breaking the hearts of those who hoped in him.

But so too, his resurrection was abrupt. So we that are here are left with three responsibilities:

To pray for her, that God can forgive him of his sins and receive him in his kingdom.

To pray and support each other.

To prepare ourselves because we don’t know the day or the hour.

On behalf of myself and my brother priests, on behalf of Mar Abraham Church and Holy Cross Mission, we offer our sincere condolences that God may rest her soul that her memory may be eternal.