Homily for Don Shirk

 I do not think that we ever talked about it, but Don and I shared one thing: motorcycles. For one thing, my short spin with the infernal machine was nothing compared to Don's life- long passion. For me it was just a matter of getting from one place to another. But for Don it was a pathway to the stars. Even long after he no longer was riding, his eyes shown bright, when he talked about his trips, he glowed. 

But when it comes down to it, it is a matter of getting from one place to another, So is life and death. Laura told me that Don mainly came to Mass to see his friends. Not a bad reason to come to Mass on several levels. 

In fact, Don could teach the Mega Church crowd a thing or two. Mega Church protestant or catholic. 

We can easily forget the theological truth: "with Angels and Archangels and all the company of Heaven". And all those for whom we continue to pray and remember that they get from one point to another. 

In the midst of life we are in death: says an old medieval hymn which was used by Catholics, Anglicans and Lutherans, but applies to all with no exceptions. 

Media vita in morte sumus-in life we are in the midst 

In those days even after the Reformation Latin remained the theological language. It remained the language of Church music. 

In the midst of life, we are in death. A medieval notion, but true for all that.

It is easy to forget but it is the one thing we cannot forget, our own mortality. It is not a matter of morbid curiosity but of remembering how you get from here to there.

Through my active priesthood my prayers were a matter of a prayer list, but when I retired I had to make my own list of the living and the dead. At my age there is nothing abstract about it. Don, may he rest in peace.

But the dead come first. It is easy for us to imagine that we have done our bit and now it is God's turn. But to get from here to there takes God's intervention and our participation as well. Battles were fought at reformation about that, but the simple truth is without God we won't and without him we cannot.

If you do not have one, make a list of departed: remember all the departed you can. Pray for them every day, shoot twice a day. May they rest in peace. May they get here to from there.

No one wants to die, but death is a good way to get over all our resentments because it doesn't matter what your politics are, the size of your bank account, your brand new car and so forth. Maybe even getting over what the true church is.

But for Christians the most important thing is that Jesus died. He entered fully into the experience of humanity that he might redeem us, that death might be conquered, that terrible theft of human life. Where does every thing lead?

For me at least it takes better poetry than we have currently to speak of this:

In the midst of hell would Sin
Drive us to despair;
Whither shall we flee away?
Where is refuge, where?
With Thee, Lord Christ, alone!
For Thou hast shed Thy precious blood,
All our sins Thou makest good,

In the midst of death the jaws
Of hell against us gape.
Who from peril dire as this
Openeth us escape?
'Tis Thou, O Lord, alone!
Our bitter suffering and our sin

Pity from Thy mercy win,
Holy Lord and God!
Strong and Holy God!
Merciful and Holy Saviour!
Eternal God!
Let not dread our souls o'erwhelm
Of the dark and burning realm,
Kyrie Eleison!

Holy Lord and God!

Strong and Holy God!
Merciful and Holy Saviour!
Eternal God!
Leave us not to fall in death
From the hope of Thy true Faith,
Kyrie Eleison!

In the midst of life, we are in death. May Don rest in peace; may he rise in glory. Rest eternal grant unto him and light perpetual shine upon him. 

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