Lossiness

This is the homily delivered by Fr. Austin Fleming at the funeral mass for Aidan McHale Sierra, Holy Family Parish Church in Concord MA, August 15, 2017: Since last week I’ve been reflecting on what I might preach this morning. And I’ve been thinking about to whom I would address my homily: to Ellen and Mike, Aidan’s loving mother and father? to Isabel, Aidan’s doting big sister? perhaps to Aidan’s young friends and their families? Everyone here today loves Aidan, but each of us in our own way, To whom might I speak, then — without leaving anyone out? Well, I decided to resolve that dilemma by preaching to the one person we all would love to talk to today. I want to speak to Aidan — and so I’ve written him a letter which I want to share with you. Dear Aidan, You’ve left a lot of people behind, people who love you — the very people whose love you knew so well. But, oh my, Aidan: you’ve left us with a lot of questions: hard questions, painful questions, mysterious quest