Published by PAA in cooperation with The Examiner Catholic newspaper, Hong Kong, China. Individual homilists may copy and adapt this text for preaching on the Sunday for which this text is provided. Explicit permission must be obtained for any other use whatsoever. Some are intentional, others are accidental. Some are just sad, others can be absolutely brutal.
Tragedies usually call for a special gentleness and understanding from a minister.
As a member of the community, the minister is often in need of ministering also. Years ago, when I was a new pastor of three small parishes way out in the country, I was confronted by something that I hope to never see again. In a two week span, I was in some way involved in twelve funerals. The strain of dealing with so much loss of human life was great. But what made it worse for me was something that was said during the last funeral.