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Thirty-Second Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C November 10, 2013
Church of Saint Ignatius Loyola
Joseph M. O’Keefe, S.J.
November is a time when we are especially mindful of our beloved dead. As trees and flowers die until they bloom again in spring, we are reminded of our mortality and the mortality of our loved ones. And in the liturgical calendar, November is a time to be especially mindful of our beloved dead. As my beloved mother once told me, “The longer you live, the more dead people you know.” On November 1, we celebrate the Feast of All Saints. On November 2, we celebrate the Feast of All Souls.
In addition, in Western Europe and the United States, November 11 or its transplanted holiday is a time when we are especially mindful of those who laid down their lives for their country.
In light of all that, I want to tell you the story of Emma Weaver.
1 Two days after she laid her beloved soldier husband to rest, Emma Weaver opened the laptop he'd had in Afghanistan. There were two Word documents on the desktop, one called 'Dear
Emma,' the other marked 'Dear Kiley' for the couple's baby daughter. Mrs Weaver realized that her husband Todd, who was killed by an IED on his second tour of
Afghanistan in September 2010, had written both his leading ladies goodbye letters in the event of his death. Mrs Weaver, from Hampton, Virginia, took a deep breath and opened the files.
Dear Emma:
Well if you are reading this, I guess I did not make it home and therefore, I was not able to remind you again of how much I love you. I love you so much baby and I will always love you. Although I may not be here right now, take comfort in the fact that I am watching over you right now. I am not gone and I will always be with you in spirit. I know this time must be hard for you but I also know how strong you are. Never forget that God knew what was best for us before we were even born. Take comfort in that. This happened for a reason. Although you may not believe it now, you will one day. I want you to know just how important you are to me. I could not ask for a more caring, beautiful, and loving wife. The memories that we have shared over the last few years have been the best of my life. Although it may seem like my life was cut short, I lived a life that most can only dream of. I married the perfect woman. I have a beautiful daughter that amazed me every day. I even had two great dogs - at least most of the time. I couldn't ask for anything more. If you feel sad, just think back to the memories that we shared. Look at our daughter and how beautiful she is. Be strong for her. Remind her about her
Daddy and tell her that I loved her more than anything else in the world. Her birth was the best day of my life and she was the best thing that ever
1 http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1393166/Soldiers-messages-love-babydaughter-widow-grave-dies-Afghanistan.html

2 happened to me. Her smile and laughter represent all that is good and beautiful in this world. Tell her that Daddy is in heaven now and will watch over her and protect her every minute of every day. I love you Emma. But never be afraid to do what you need to do to be happy. It is so important that you continue to find happiness in your life. Although you may think this is impossible right now, have faith. Much better times are coming. You and
Kiley have a wonderful life ahead of you and I am so happy to have shared some of it with you. I love you.
Your loving Husband,Todd
The second letter, to his daughter, read as following:
Dear Kiley, My Sweetie:
Although you may not remember me, I want you to know how very much your Daddy loves you. I left for Afghanistan when you were 9 months old.
Leaving you was the hardest thing I've ever had to do. You are so very special to me sweetie - you are truly a gift from God. The best day of my life was the day you were born. Every time I saw you smile my heart would just melt. You were my sweetie - my life was not complete until you were born. I am so sorry I will not be able to see you grow up. But remember, your Daddy is not gone. I am in heaven now smiling down on you every day. You are so very lucky to have such a wonderful Mom to take care of you. Make sure you are good for her and help her out whenever you can. Always remember to say your prayers at night and be thankful for all your many blessings. Never forget how important and special you are to so many people. We love you so very much. When you get older and start school, do your best and try to learn as much as you can about the world you live in. Always be nice and caring to others and you will discover that the world will be nice to you. But when things aren't going your way, never forget that God knows what is best for you and everything will work out in the end.
You have such a bright and beautiful future ahead of you. Have fun. Enjoy it. And remember, your Daddy will always be proud of you and will always love you. You are and will always be my sweetie.
With very much love, Your Daddy
I believe that these latters illustrate something that we know in the depths of our being – namely, that love is the strongest force on earth, stronger even than death itself. Despite the grief and darkness that accompanies the death of a loved one, we somehow understand deep down the words of one of the Catholic funeral prayers, that “…the bonds of love and affection that knit us together in life do not unravel at death.” Of course, we do not know with any specificity what happens to a person on the other side. In today’s gospel, the Sadducees, with their knit-picking questions about the afterlife, gave Jesus the opportunity to say of those who have gone before,
“They can no longer die, for they are like angels; and they are the children of God because they are the ones who will rise. The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob; is not God of the dead, but of the living, for to him all are alive."

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So, as the years go by and we know more and more dead people, when we feel the pang of grief, when we shed anew the tears of mourning, when we long to hear the voice of our beloved or feel the embrace of their arms, when a sight or a smell or a sound brings back a flood of poignant memories, remember this: Our beloved dead, like Todd Weaver, still love us and are with us in ways that we will never fully understand this side of the grave. In the dark moments especially, when our hearts are heavy with grief, let us pray with Saint Paul, “May the Lord direct our hearts to the love of God and to the endurance of Christ.” For it is Christ, in His boundless love, who endured death on the cross so that you, and I, and our beloved dead might live forever in Him.