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Homilies | Friday, January 13, 2017

A cheerful soul who looked into souls

Homily by Archbishop Wenski at Funeral Mass for Fr. Michael Eivers

Homily by Archbishop Thomas Wenski at Funeral Mass for Fr. Michael Eivers, missionary Irish priest and long time Pastor of St. Edward Church in Pembroke Pines. Friday, Jan. 13, 2017.

Msgr. Eivers entered into eternal life a couple weeks shy of his 88th birthday. So, you could expect that someone blessed with the gift of a long life would find more people “on the other side” to welcome him into eternity that there would be “on this side” to bid him farewell. Yet, judging from the goodly turnout of mourners – last night and this morning – there must be quite a crowd on the other side cheering him on as Jesus tells him: Welcome! Well done, good and faithful servant.

In his obituary on the Archdiocese of Miami’s website, Father Mike was described as “A cheerful soul who looked into souls. A sociable man who excelled at heart-to-heart talks. A master organizer who always had time for you.” He was that and more – for he was a priest of Jesus Christ, “a shepherd after God’s own heart” (Jeremiah 3: 15)  What a blessing was this priest – a missionary who came here to the Archdiocese from Ireland via the mission fields of war torn Nigeria.

Pope Francis in the past several years has spoken often of priests and the priesthood. And while Monsignor had already “retired” – “retired” in quotation marks – by the time Francis became Pope and though, I don’t believe, they ever met Father Mike exemplified what Pope Francis wants to see in a priest and what the people of God deserve to find in a priest.

As Pope Francis insists, the strength of a priest depends on his relationship with Christ. At the heart of any priest’s ministry is his living relationship with Christ so that the priest sees as Christ sees and loves as Christ loves. And just as he must be close to Christ so the priest must be close to the people he serves – or in the words of Pope Francis as a shepherd “living with the ‘smell of the sheep’” in the words of Pope Francis. A priest, Pope Francis insists, is to be a pastor out among his people not just an administrator locked up in an office.  A priest is not an authoritarian but he is to speak with authority and to act with authority – but an authority linked to service, especially to the lost, the last and the least. A priest having received mercy himself is also merciful – and if God never tires of forgiving us, a priest never tires of hearing confessions. Pope Francis also reminds us that we priests are to commit ourselves to a simple lifestyle, not to be vain or ostentatious but rather to seek to be always men of integrity and humility. Doesn’t this sound like the priest that Father Mike Eivers was for more than 60 years?

In first Chrism Mass as Pope, Francis said, “A good priest can be recognized by the way his people are anointed…when our people are anointed with the oil of gladness, it is obvious, for example, when they leave Mass looking as if they have heard good news’.  In his preaching, in his prayer, through being truly present to his flock in the realities of their everyday lives, Father Mike helped his parishioners “feel that the fragrance of the Anointed One, Christ, has come to them”.

For 60 years, whether forming cell communities, leading life in the Spirit seminars, or singing with the choir during rehearsals, Father Mike anointed his people – and they sense the fragrance of Christ about him.

St. John Eudes once said: “...the greatest effect of God’s mercy, the most precious grace He bestows upon mankind, is to send worthy priests, men after His own heart, seeking only His glory and the salvation of souls.”

As priests we touch and influence people — for good or for ill — in ways that we may never be aware of, at least on this side of eternity. Father Mike was one of those worthy priests; and I hope that now, from his side of eternity, he is aware of the influence for good that he had in the lives of so many people here in the Archdiocese of Miami and beyond. His was a ministry of service, not of celebrity. And he ministered in humility and with humor.

Like Father Mike was, every priest here is privileged to serve God and his people in this awesome vocation of the holy priesthood. And even though we carry this treasure in the “earthen vessels” of our frail humanity and sinfulness, it is a holy priesthood because as “other Christs” we share in our Lord’s own high priesthood in our ministry of Word and Sacrament. God uses imperfect instruments to work his will so that we will know that it is He who saves and not we.

And since we priests know our own human frailty, we are not shy in asking for prayers for him — and when we die, we beg your prayers for us, confident that the love of Jesus Christ who gave us the gift of the priesthood is stronger than death.

Eternal Rest grant unto him, O Lord; may his soul and the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God rest in peace.  Amen.



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