Miscarriage Homily

28 Jul Miscarriage Homily

I recently attended a Funeral Mass for a miscarried baby and was really struck by the words spoken by the Priest. He kindly provided a copy for others to benefit from his words of condolence and encouragment. May it prove beneficial for all readers.

No words would ever be appropriate to speak to the grief and suffering that comes with losing a child. Every human life – no matter how short, no matter how small – is sacred. As Christians, we nonetheless gather in Faith, in Hope, in Love… and we’re here at the feet of Jesus. At the foot of the Cross. ….. & ….., the Church in these moments, – along with your family and friends – is near to you and we are all with you as you mourn the loss of your baby. You both welcomed and carried this sweet, treasured life, your baby, for a few precious weeks… and you loved this little one. “Every human life, from the moment of conception until death, is sacred because the human person [– no matter how long the life or how short the life –] has been willed for its own sake and made in the image & likeness of the living and holy God.” (Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC), 2319)

As Christians, in times such as these, we turn to the Lord Jesus in prayer. While the prayers of a Funeral Mass are normally offered in supplication for the soul of a baptized deceased person, this Funeral Mass and the Church’s liturgical prayers are a bit different. This little one has not had the time to sin personally; and so your child does not need our prayers! Without minimizing the importance of the Sacrament of Baptism for salvation and for the washing from Original Sin, it is nonetheless – as the Catechism says – “the great mercy of God, who desires that all men should be saved and Jesus’ [known] tenderness towards children which caused Him to say ‘let the children come to me, do not hinder them’, [that] allows us to HOPE that there IS a way of salvation for children [and, therefore, babies] who have died without [see here, before receiving] baptism.” (CCC,1261) The Church’s liturgy, today, therefore joins in prayer with you and for you – …. & …. – as we entrust this precious little soul into the all-embracing love our Heavenly Father. As it was your intent and desire to offer the great gift of baptism to your child and standing firm on the hope of the Church, we can trust that this little child now enjoys the presence of Almighty God and intercedes for you.

The readings that you have selected offers two important reminders for us with this respect. The first, from the Book of Wisdom (Wisdom 4:7-15), offers to us a different perspective to how it is that we see the gift of life. Life on earth is finite. Our time here is limited. He [“God”] alone knows the full length of our days. Our focus, as Christians, is not on the length of life lived but rather on whether our life is lived in readiness to see the Lord. The author of the Book of Wisdom says that “old age is not honoured for length of time or measured by number of years; … a blameless life is “ripe old age”. […] Being perfected in a short time…” Many may see the blessing in living a long, healthy, comfortable life, however, the real blessing is not so much to attain a ‘ripe old age’ but ‘living a blameless life’. Every one of our days on this Earth matter – as they are counted; each day we have is a gift for us to love more, to repent more, to unite to Christ more trusting in His plans for us. To love more and to unite more to Christ: that’s the point of life, whether a short life or a long life.

The second reminder for us, found in our Gospel (John 19:17-30), is precisely the scene of Calvary: the Death of our Lord Jesus Christ. There, at the foot of the Cross, we entrust ourselves and our sorrow and our grief to someone who knows grief very well – a mother’s grief – the Blessed Virgin Mary. A mother, like you, …., who knew the joy of carrying a child and who also knew profound sorrow as she held Him at the foot of the Cross. The Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of Sorrows, stands with us our grief and sorrow – stands with you …., stands with you …., stands with all mothers and fathers who have lost a child – whether in the womb or outside. She stands, though, inviting all of us to renew our Faith in her son Jesus Christ, who died, was buried and rose again.

As Christians – united as one in the Body of Christ – we maintain relationship with those who have gone to the Lord and are in Him. Yes, we will continue to experience death as a separation from our loved-ones but – thanks to Christ’s death and resurrection – death does not sever ties of relationship with them. Nowhere is this most real than in the celebration of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. In the celebration of the Holy Eucharist we stand together with all the angels and with the Saints of Heaven – all those souls already with the Lord. It is there, in the Eucharist, that we and that you, …. & …., experience union with the loved-ones who have gone on and are in the presence of the Lord.

It is there at Mass, your precious little child – with all your children – are united with you in Christ, as they continue interceding for you till the day the Lord will have marked for you to join them. All of us – with you – in the face of suffering and of loss, keep our eyes fixed on the Lord. Even when we may not understand, we lift up our gaze to Him and trust Him, our loving God.