On the afternoon of February 27, my wife and I drove to Oklahoma City for the funeral of Ông Cậu (great uncle) Phanxicô Xaviê Lê Huề. I first met him and his wife back in June of 2018 when we were in OKC for their 65th wedding anniversary, in which his brother - Archbishop Emeritus Francis Xavier Lê Văn Hồng - was the Mass celebrant.
I was blessed to have Ông Cậu and his family attend my Ordination that following spring in March of 2019. It was so special to see so many of our family members present in loving support and prayer for me and my wife. We visited Oklahoma City again later that year for a wedding. That was the last time that we would visit until this past weekend for his funeral Mass and burial.
Try as we might, we did not make it to OKC in time for the Vigil Service on Friday evening. I had a pretrial hearing that morning in federal court and my wife had testing at her school. However, we were blessed with the opportunity to say our "good-byes" to Ông Cậu the next morning, at the funeral home, before we accompanied him to Giáo xứ Thánh Anrê Dũng Lạc for the funeral Mass. Here is Ông Cậu's obituary: https://www.vondelsmithmortuary.com/obituaries/hue-le.
My first funeral Mass and Vigil as a deacon was for family member, less than 4 months after my Ordination. It was challenging but, by the grace of God, I was able to be of some comfort to our family.
This past weekend, I witnessed this amazing priest be of comfort to his mom, siblings, and other family members as he himself mourned the loss of his dad. He presided at the funeral Mass and gave a beautiful homily, remembering his dad as a man of faith, a loving husband, and a devoted father, grandfather, and great-grandfather. He is an order priest based in Chicago and had been traveling back and forth the past few years to be with his dad. And, as he shared in his homily, whenever he left his parents to return to Chicago, he always wondered it that was the last time he would see his dad. I cannot imagine how hard it must be for him to be so far from his parents.
My sisters and brothers in Christ, pray for our priests. They are sons, brothers, and uncles and they suffer losses in their life just like the rest of us. They often live far from their families and so their parish community and order become part of their family. They give their life to our Lord Jesus Christ in service to the people of God and His Church. Let us pray, love, and support our priests.
There were several moments during the graveside service that moved me to tears but those were just personal and precious moments that I will keep in my heart and ponder them. After the graveside service, we gathered at Hibachi Supreme Buffet for lunch and to enjoy each other's company. I visited with an uncle who left the corporate world behind to manage a farm in Mississippi. The next morning, we at a private Mass for Ông Cậu, followed by brunch. We then said our "good-byes" and departed to return home. We shared another tender moment with Bà Mợ (great aunt) that I will keep in my heart and ponder.
As I drove home, I reflected on how life moves us. We gather to celebrate milestones and occasions, like weddings, birthdays, graduations, and funerals, and then life moves on for each of us. I thought of Bà Mợ and Cha (our uncle the priest) and their family and the emptiness that they now feel in their hearts for Ông Cậu. However, as our Lord Jesus Christ teaches us in the Beatitudes: "Blessed are they who mourn, for they will be comforted." Our Lord and our God is the only Person who can fill the hole or emptiness in our hearts. I am confident that they will be okay because their faith and hope in God and the Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ will sustain them in their mourning. I pray that they feel the loving presence of our Lord Jesus Christ in their hearts. He will turn their mourning into joy. Amen.
