On April 26, Bishop Jaime Soto celebrated a memorial Mass for Pope Francis at 8 a.m. in the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament in Sacramento.
Here is the text of his homily:
The Holy Father, Pope Francis was laid to rest today in the arms of the Blessed Mother at the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore. By this Mass we unite with all the People of God asking for our Blessed Mother’s intercession so that this faithful servant may enter into the delight of his master’s joy.
The Funeral for Pope Francis coincides with seventh day of the Easter Octave. Both in the first reading, from the Acts of the Apostles, as well as Gospel reading, from the resurrection narrative of Mark, we are reminded of the urgency of proclaiming “the Gospel to every creature.” The final commendation of Pope Francis to the mercy of God helps us appreciate the urgency of this apostolic mission. The good news of the Gospel, the paschal joy of the Lord’s death and resurrection, is ultimately about our communion with the Lord Jesus in the eternal wedding feast of the Lamb of God. This heavenly communion begins now for all those who through baptism have died with Christ. Both the words as well as the works of the disciples of Jesus should communicate the nearness of the mercy and joy of the Lord Jesus.
This is the treasure and mission of the missionary disciples – los discípulos misioneros -- that Jorge Mario Bergoglio articulated when he served as one of the principal redactors of the Latin American document Aparecida and then later, as Pope Francis, incorporated into his first Apostolic Exhortation, Evangelii Gaudium, the Joy of the Gospel.
We hear the fervent urgency of missionary disciples in the words of Peter and John, in the first reading as they responded to the warnings of the Sanhedrin: “It is impossible for us not to speak about what we have seen and heard.” The Gospel reading, though, relates how even seeing clearly and hearing carefully took time for the disciples. They did not initially understand the Lord’s death and resurrection. In Mark’s Gospel narrative, the risen Jesus rebuked them for their hardness of heart. They needed to set aside their fears, ambitions, and shame to see clearly the new horizon Jesus had revealed and hear more intently the mercy he offered.
To be the missionary disciples today, we too must be open to see and hear the Lord Jesus who continuing reveals the wisdom, mercy, and joy of the Gospel to us. As St. Paul told the Corinthians, “Behold, now is a very acceptable time; behold, now is the day of salvation.” (II Cor. 6.2)
We will not share the urgency of Peter and John in the first reading unless we see and hear the nearness and dearness of the Lord Jesus for us. He brings the wisdom, mercy and joy of heaven to us now.
Someday, as with Pope Francis, we will come to see face to face all that for which we now hope. Hope is more than waiting. Hope lives with anticipation, with a burning desire. Christian hope remedies the hardness of heart. Christian hope enkindles a longing to seek the Lord where he may be found. Christian hope attunes the ears of the heart to listen for the voice of the Good Shepherd.
Pope Francis taught us many things about being missionary disciples. His most persuasive lessons were to be found in his example. He saw many of those whom the world had become accustomed not see. He listened to voices that others have chosen to ignore. More than seeing and hearing the joys and hopes, the griefs and sorrows of people, Pope Francis recognized the presence of the Lord Jesus among the poor and forgotten. He heard the voice of the Good Shepherd calling him. Like Peter and John in the first reading, it was impossible for him not to speak of what he had seen and heard.
In this Jubilee year calling us to be pilgrims of hope, Pope Francis again teaches us by example. He has completed his pilgrimage of hope. He has journeyed from faith to knowing fully as he is fully known before the throne of God (cf. I Cor. 13.12) Let us be resolved then to continue this pilgrimage of hope, living as missionary disciples, yearning for the whole world to know the fullness of joy in Christ Jesus, our Lord.