Mass and Homily offered at St. John Paul II Life Center in Austin, Texas.
Funeral of John Selman
I admit to being a little intimidated today. I have never done a funeral for a man who chose his pall bearers forty years ago. John’s son, Jack shared with me that when he went to arrange this funeral with the funeral director, he was handed an envelope. John Selman had the entire funeral mapped out. The funeral director said that John opened that file with him in 2015.
We are going to honor John Selman’s wishes today.
However, we have two tasks above all else that we must undertake this morning at this funeral.
Light of the World. Salt of the Earth
What is a “practicing Catholic”? Usually, it means someone who is in Mass every week.
But let’s take another look at it. That seems rather “bare bones”. Someone who lives the Sacramental Life of the Church is certainly a “practicing Catholic”, but let’s go deeper.
Jesus, in the Gospel shows us to go deeper.
“You are the salt of the earth.
But if salt loses its taste, with what can it be seasoned?
It is no longer good for anything
but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.
You are the light of the world.
A city set on a mountain cannot be hidden.
Beatitudes
Major countries have constitutions. The constitutions help the countries live in order, peacefully. The Kingdom of God also has a constitution, it’s the Sermon on the Mount.
If we live according to Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, and the Beatitudes, the world will hate us. Do you know anyone who lives the Beatitudes in their daily life?
Those who live the Beatitudes faithfully will not be passive, but active. Those who are faithful to Jesus’ Beatitudes will run afoul of the world. Ask the Apostles and Martyrs. They refused to follow the official religions and guidelines of the world.