VANCOUVER – In one of his last public acts before he retires later this month, an emotional Archbishop J. Michael Miller spoke to a cathedral filled with uniformed first responders, political officials, faith leaders, and grieving friends and family members of victims of the Lapu Lapu Day tragedy, reminding them “that our lives are bound together and that we cannot face tragedy” as isolated individuals.
“We need a community of solidarity to support and help us as we walk through this valley of darkness,” the Archbishop said, in reference to Psalm 23, read as the Responsorial Psalm during the liturgy.
Reaching out to everyone affected by the horrors of “this grim day in Vancouver’s history, but especially to our Filipino brothers and sisters and their friends,” the Archbishop spoke of the temptation during catastrophe to forget the needs of others. “Our gathering this evening in our cathedral tells a different story about who we are in Vancouver,” he said. “Instead of surrendering to either helplessness or self-interest, we have chosen to cultivate the simple virtue of kindness” through consolation and practical assistance.
He assured those mourning “that they are not alone in their grief,” and that “we are with you in the sorrow that shakes all of us to the very core of our being,” as they remember the “innocent victims and those injured so senselessly on Saturday evening.”
He then spoke of the gratitude the city of Vancouver has for the many gifts the Filipino community brings. The “vibrant” Filipino community inspires others “with its spiritual resilience founded on faith, openness to others in difficulty, and the importance it gives to the treasure of family life.”
Although everyone at the cathedral was united in sorrow, the Archbishop spoke of how faith among believers forms an interconnectedness that is “even more profound because it engages us supernaturally” and forges “bonds of communion between the living and the dead.”
By offering one another “our thoughts and prayers,” he said, “we recognize that we can pray for one another, even for those who have preceded us in death. Our prayers for the deceased express our kindness and our confident hope in the certainty that death doesn’t have the last word.”
Authentic kindness entails not only words and prayer, he said, but also practical assistance. He noted the many civic associations and faith-based ministries offering spiritual care at their places of worship and health-care facilities.
The Archdiocese of Vancouver is providing counselling and spiritual support, he said, and a special collection this weekend will support ongoing healing and outreach services for victims and their families.
In reference to the Gospel reading from Matthew’s account of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, he said the second of the Beatitudes “touches directly upon our situation: ‘Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.’”
“Let us have the courage to weep on this day of suffering but also to hear this word of grace and consolation that the Lord spoke on the mountain.”
Unfortunately, he said, “many people have lost the ability to mourn,” instead trying to disregard or hide from their pain. “They expend their energy fleeing from situations of suffering. Jesus tells us otherwise.”
The Beatitude affirms those who are in pain and sorrow, he said. “May we be among such individuals who can touch life’s depths, unafraid to share in the suffering of others. May we be compassionate by coming to the aid of those who suffer, understanding their anguish and bringing them relief. And may those who are suffering feel the closeness of a community that embraces them and gives concrete help.”
The Archbishop invoked God’s blessing on all the victims and prayed for the survivors and all those “who are striving heroically to cope with this atrocious tragedy. Amid the darkness of death, so much light has also shone, a light that deserves our prayerful gratitude.”
He assured the congregation that “not a single tear falls in vain,” and that the Good Shepherd gathers them all in his heart. “In that heart are written all the names of the loved ones who have passed from time into eternity. Death cannot destroy love, a truth that the Liturgy for the Dead recalls for us: ‘Indeed, for your faithful, Lord, life is changed, not ended.’”
Acknowledging that the pain remains, Archbishop Miller said consolation comes “through our closeness, friendship and affection for one another – walking together and helping one another as brothers and sisters.”
In Psalm 23, he said, the Psalmist does not walk into the darkest valley, “but through it” and the pain, “coming to the other side with the Lord God accompanying him.”
Adapting the words of Benedict XVI at Ground Zero in New York in 2008, he concluded with a prayer “which sums up the sentiments of my heart and, I pray, yours as well.”
O God of love, compassion and healing,
look upon us, people of many different faiths and traditions,
who gather on this Day of Remembrance and Mourning.
In your goodness,
we ask you to give eternal light and peace
to the innocent children, men and women
who were victims of this tragedy.
In your compassion,
bring healing to those
who, because of their presence there,
suffer from injuries or trauma.
Heal, too, the pain of the grieving families
and of all who lost loved ones on that fateful evening.
Give them the strength
to continue their lives with courage and hope.
Our hearts are one with theirs,
as our prayer embraces their pain and suffering.
God of understanding,
overwhelmed by the magnitude of this senseless tragedy,
we implore your light and guidance,
as we seek to understand such an horrific event.
Comfort and console us, O Lord,
strengthen us in hope,
and give us the wisdom and courage
to work tirelessly for a world
where love and solidarity reign
in the hearts of all. Amen.
