Br Eugene, 1931-2010
In Memory of Our Brother.
On January 12th, our beloved Brother Eugene died. After entering our community in 1957, a distinguishing mark of his monatic career was his work as our head fruitcake baker from 1980 to 2007, which he did generously and selflessly.
In a recent community meeting, Br Eugene was described as a gentle man, an ideal monk, and a saint.
Important Dates:
Born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin - Oct. 9, 1931
Entered Our Lady of Guadalupe - 1957
Took his Simple Vows - 1960
Solemn Profession - 1963
Entered Eternal Life - Jan. 12, 2010
Please pray for our Brother.
Homily Text by Abbot Peter McCarthy
Given at Br Eugene's Burial Mass on January 16, 2010
"I made known to them your name
(Jesus says: of those whom the Father gave him)
and I will make it known, that the love with which you loved me
may be in them and I in them" John 17:24-26
I ask the question, my brothers & sisters, What is that Love like? What does it feel like in everyday, day to day, life? We can say that this Love with which the Father loved Jesus is faithful ... that is it is forever inside us ... as St. Paul testifies in our second reading:
"I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor present things, nor future things, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature will ever be able to separate us
from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord."
We can say that God's love is Light because "God is light; there is no darkness in Him" At least not our kind of darkness ... the darkness that leaves us feeling alienated from others and turned in on ourselves. And when we look at Jesus, we can say that God's love is gentle, in a hopeful and healing sort of way. The ancient Prophet said of this Love of the Father:
"He will not break the crushed reed or extinguish the flickering flame"
"...and I will make it known, (says Jesus) that the love with which you loved me may be in them and I in them"
It was some 15 or more years ago that the Oregon poet, William Stafford, died. He was the longest published poet in America. Brother Eugene and I had shared many of his poems over the years. Like Brother Eugene, Stafford was a poet of nature... anyone who's ever gone for a walk with Brother Eugene or talked with him for any length of time, will tell you that his sensitivity to the beauty and light in the natural world, big or small, sunset or single oak leaf, was truly childlike. Stafford left a poem entitled "For my friends" when he died & I read it to you now because it illumines our Gospel and illustrates why this Gospel passage is particularly Brother Eugene's.
For My Friends
Once in a cave a little bar of light
Fell into my hand. The walls leaned over me.
I carried it outside to let the stars look:
They peered in my hand. Stars are like that.
Do not be afraid — I no longer carry it.
But in a friend's face now, splinters of that light
Fall and won't go out, no matter how faint
The buried star shines back there in the cave.
It is in the earth wherever I walk.
It is in the earth wherever I walk
Listen to this: "But in a friend's face now: splinters of that light Fall and won't go out, no matter how faint... ". Brother Eugene was such a friend and such a brother to us. He brought splinters of that light, of that Love into our lives ... quietly, gently, hopefully. I am reminded of only recently speaking with a religious superior who had done a Long Term Life Retreat with us some years ago. When he heard Brother Eugene was ill he immediately spoke of what a comfort it was to work with Brother Eugene in the bakery each morning. "Somehow" he said "just the way he was, the way he handled the pots and pans, the twinkle in his eye, and the gentle humor. Somehow he gave me the sense things were going to be all right... God really was in charge and I was Loved."
Perhaps in every community there has to be certain brothers or sisters who are bearers of light and hope; who through their gentle fidelity, their warm humor, and their child-like wonder hold the rest of us together in the experience that the Father's Love really is at the center of everything. Our Brother Eugene was such a Light Bearer and quietly, gently, selflessly he went about scattering splinters of that Light — of the Father's Love in Jesus- among us. Even in his final years, when his sight and his movements were increasingly limited, there was still gentleness, gratitude, and even that childlike humor when you were in his presence.
However, he never was a patient man in the face of anything or anyone that struck him as overly solemn or too serious. This was especially true when speaking about death and dying. There was a time when the spirituality around a monk's death could be quite dark (if not black) and quite severe .... this was reflected liturgically and even as a shy young monk Brother Eugene would have none of it!
A letter fell out of his personnel file just last week when I was moving it... I didn't even have to open the file! It was written to the abbot some 40 years ago and you can still feel the passion and conviction within. I'll let Br. Eugene have the last word:
Brother Eugene's Letter
And so Jesus prayed:
"Righteous Father, the world also does not know you, but I know you, and they know that you sent me. I made known to them your name and I will make it known, that the love with which you loved me may be in them and I in them".
+ Abbot Peter