Funeral Mass Homily for Elizabeth Aviva Fiada
Our Lady of Mercy Catholic Church
Father Stephen Wyble
12 April 2019
If I make it to heaven, the first question I’ll ask the Lord is “Why?” I know the theology, and you, Caroline, know it too; but theology doesn’t satisfy right now— “Lord, I understand you respect our freedom; and this world, with its illness and death, was not part of the original plan…but in that early April of 2019, you could have prevented it from happening. Why didn’t you? Why did you let this happen to Lizzy?”
We don’t have to wait for heaven to ask this of God. It’s the question on all of our hearts right now; hearts overwhelmed with sorrow, confusion, and anger. Being angry with God can make difficult to talk to Him, at least directly. I’ve found myself going to Mother Mary this past week, asking her to take my prayers to the Lord. Mary knows what it’s like to be frustrated or angry, even with Jesus. I’ve found myself talking to my family about Lizzy; talking to other priests about how to make sense of this tragedy; but mostly I’ve been talking to the saints.
Wooden statues of saints line the walls of our church hallway on the other side of the glass windows. Lizzy liked to play there during Mass and run around under the watchful presence of those carved wooden figures. I’ve walked that hallway many times this week, and each time I thought of Lizzy; each time I stopped to talk with a saint, to ask their intercession, to reflect on how they dealt with tragedy and sorrow. I’ve talked with the likes of Jesus’ grandmother, Saint Anne, with Teresa, with Elizabeth Ann Seton, and especially with Saint Gabriel of Our Lady of Sorrows.
I had been asking these holy men and women for guidance, when it occurred to me, why not ask Lizzy herself? The saints are saints because of where they are: with God for eternity in heaven. I have no doubt —and our Catholic Church has no doubt— that Lizzy is with God for eternity in heaven. And there she can look down on us, hear us, and intercede for us. In our faith, we can say that Lizzy is a saint in heaven. In my faith, I began praying to her.
Now, Lizzy may not get an official canonization in Rome; but that’s perhaps for the better. Those masses are long! I imagine she would rather be off playing in the Vatican Gardens or bouncing around the hallways of the basilica by the time they get to the homily! But just as with any canonized saint, we can still pray to Lizzy for intercession, talk to her and she’ll hear us, and we can even call her Saint Elizabeth.
Elizabeth Aviva Fiada was born into this life on the first day of spring, 2017. She was beautifully and fittingly given the middle name Aviva, or “springtime” in Hebrew. Later on that spring, on the 22nd of April, she was born into the divine life of grace at her baptism. In the springtime of 2019, she was born into eternal life: into the loving arms of our Risen Lord, whose Resurrection we celebrate every spring. There are a number of Saint Elizabeth’s already; in my mind there’s only one “Saint Elizabeth of Springtime.”
Caroline, you shared with me on Sunday that many lives have already been touched by Lizzy’s life; I, too, have seen so many lovingly affected by her story, and still others moved to a deeper faith in God and hope in eternal life. I know, through her prayers and intercession, God will continue to bless His people. But Lizzy is especially interceding for you, Caroline. Where she is now, she can clearly see the immeasurable amount of love you have for her and have had for her since she was first in your womb. She knew of your love in this life, to be sure, but within the limitations of this life. Now in the presence of God, she sees your love as clear as day. And just as she returned your love in this life, now Lizzy will show her love by interceding for you, by encouraging you, by asking God for the grace you need to be a wonderful mother for Cecilia. And, of course, being the good big sister she is, Lizzy will be interceding for baby Cecilia, too: that she might be healthy and safe and grow up to become a talented musician!
If I make it to heaven, I will have many questions for God. But there’s one question I know I won’t have. I won’t ask God why He created Lizzy—even though He knew she would live only two short years—I won’t have to ask that question, because I know the answer already.
When we celebrate the Easter Resurrection of Jesus next week, we remember that our God is a living God: the God of light and life, the God who has destroyed death forever. As the springtime arrives, we feel the sunlight again, we see new life in the flowers and trees: we remember that death is not the end of the story. Lizzy was an image of God’s light and life among us. She brought that light and life to her family, and to everyone who loved her. She was the sunshine of God’s love and the blooming flowers of His joy. Lizzy was and is all gift. Praise and glory to God who would so generously give us Lizzy, if just for a short time in this life.
We may know that the story ends with the springtime of Easter; but today and for now, it still feels like the winter of Good Friday. Lizzy’s death has brought us to Calvary. And so today we stand with Mary at the foot of the Cross, staring at a tiny casket. We stand with Mother Mary in the depth of human sorrow, a sorrow that Jesus freely entered into when He emptied himself, becoming obedient even to death on a cross. Jesus did this not to take away all sorrow, but that He might transform sorrow into eternal joy.
A week from today we will hear the story of the crucifixion: the greatest act of love in history. His suffering had meaning, His pain had a purpose, His death was the destruction of death. Jesus shows you and me that suffering does not mean God is absent; in fact, in these moments, God is most profoundly with us.
The beloved disciple, John, of all the disciples, had the strength to stay at the cross when the others ran away. He had this strength because he was close to Mother Mary. Caroline, Mary is close to you and you are close to her. Stay at the cross with her. Be there with Jesus in your suffering and in His suffering. You have the strength you need. You know that springtime will come, the Resurrection will come, eternal joy will come. You will see Lizzy again.
Elizabeth Aviva Fiada lives because Jesus lives. Saint Elizabeth of Springtime lives and now sees His glory, the glory of the Father’s only Son, full of grace and truth. We still wait in this valley of tears; but we wait in hope, because Jesus is the life and light of the human race. He is the life that conquers death, the light that shines in the darkness of our suffering and grief; and that darkness, no matter how terrible, will never overcome it.