Rev. Stanton's Eulogy

Eulogy given by Rev. Thomas J. Stanton

October 4, 2001
St. Catherine's Church
Westford, Massachusetts

The Cross

Upon hearing the news of Scott's accident and subsequent death, I thought of the Cross. Scott would never see a beautiful sunset or sunrise. Mark and Kim would not see their son graduate next spring. Mark, his brother, would not have another impromptu jam session in the living room with Scott on the guitar and Mark on the piano. The cross of a family is heavy to carry. Classmates and friends, mentors, would no longer have Scott's wisdom and opinion to turn to. More crosses.

In a sense, today our sadness and loss puts us all at the cross that matters, the cross of Jesus Christ. That is the cross we must believe in to get through this difficult time. It has been heavily burdened these last many weeks, and especially since last weekend for all of you.

On Monday, sitting down with the family, it was explained to me that many of Scott's organs were able to be donated--- in a sense he will live on. Scott's love and friendship, ambitions and dreams will also live on in us. If we had faith in Scott then we should have faith in God. Looking at that faith we can see that Scott was born into a family of love and baptized into a family of faith on December 11, 1983. He was confirmed in the Holy Spirit on April 2. 2000. On that day Scott answered the questions put to his parents and Godparents back in 1983. They believed in 1983 what Scott believed in the year 2000. He believed in God ---Father, Son and Holy Spirit, and that God the Son, Jesus Christ, by His cross and resurrection, led the way for His followers to eternal life. How often those words whereby we confirm our faith come back to us, Yes Lord, we believe. Whether one lives a long life or a short life we live for eternal life. Christ's cross may remind us of sadness and of what could never be done, but Christ's resurrection has won for us what we need this day, the promise of eternal life for Scott and all those whom we love who have died. Scott wrote in his self-reflection, "I am optimistic about the future." Sitting with the family on Monday I thought, that is Christ's words for each of his followers.

So as we gather together at a time of grief and can only think of the weight of this cross of sorrow, we need to remember Christ's end was not at His cross, and Scott's end is not this car accident that tragically has taken his life. Paul reminds us that those who we baptized into His death live in newness of life. We are united with Him in His resurrection, Saint Paul told us. Christ raised from the dead dies no more. Death no longer has power over Him. Because of Christ's resurrection Paul says death no longer has power over Him. And if death no longer has power over Christ, then those of us united to Christ must also realize death no longer has power over us.

We will be sad for a long time for sure, yet in the depths of sorrow, please remember Christ's promise that we will be with Him one day. Christ spoke in the Gospel about being preserved for eternal life, the grain of wheat remains but a grain unless it falls to the ground and dies it is then that it produces much fruit. Scott was a selfless person in many ways, his life bore fruit and that is why we can have confidence in his resurrection and in Christ's promise to be with us through this difficult time through his Eucharist where Christ feeds us with himself. May our Eucharist this day bear fruit in us and truly show glimmers of Scott's resurrection, and may his example of kindness not be forgotten.

I would like to close with a poem that seemed to mean a lot to Scott's Mom, Dad, and brother on Monday. I would like you all to close you eyes for a minute as you listen and are invited into the presence of the Divine Weaver.

My life is but a weaving between my Lord and Me

I cannot choose the Colors God works steadily.
Often He weaves sorrow and I in foolish Pride
Forget that God sees the upper and I the Lower Side
Not until the Loom is Silent and the bobbins cease to fly
Shall God unroll the canvas and explain the reasons why
The dark threads are as needful in the Weavers skillful hand
As the threads of gold and silver in the pattern He has planned.