Fr. Hugh McAvoy C.P., R.I.P.

Homily at Funeral by Fr. Martin Coffey C.P.

We gather as family, brethren and as friends to bid farewell to Hugh. We do so with heavy hearts but also with faith in that light and life that can never be extinguished, eternal light, eternal life and love. We hand Hugh over to the God who first loved him into life and pray that he will now experience the fulfilment of all his hopes and dreams by sharing the fullness of life with God forever, Amen.

We weep that he is gone from us but we can also smile that he was with us. I don't really want this grief to pass too quickly for our grief is a measure of our love and how dear he was and still is to us. I will always remember you, Hugh, indeed all of us will remember him -- a kind and gentle brother and friend, ever ready and willing to help in any way. For us in the community Hugh was a true Passionist who lived and reflected to all of us what is best and noble and lovely about our vocation. He had learned from his Lord what it means to lay down his life in service every day freely and always with a smile - no one more generous, no one so giving. We used to say that he was far too conscientious. I think we said this because his commitment made us aware of how our way fell short so often of the ideal which he lived so lovely.

Hugh made friends easily every where he lived and worked in Ireland, Scotland and Africa. There are so many people young and old who really loved him, some here today, and all the many others now share our sense of loss.

I want to remember with special affection and appreciation the years he spent in Africa - first in Botswana, and then Kenya and South Africa. In the early years he was involved in parish work. Then he was engaged in the formation and training of young African Passionists. He was chosen because of his qualities of kindness, patience, willingness to listen and understand. He was the ideal mentor, model, and example for our young brothers. They loved him. I was privileged and happy to work closely with him in Africa for many, many years. His brethren there are united with with us in grief and prayer today and we are happy that so many of them are here today on the altar. I would like to recognise Sister Rosemary of the Sisters of Calvary down there representing all his friends in Botswana.

Hugh was my closest friend. He told me recently that from his late teens his great passion was the search for God. That is what brought him to the Passionists in the first place. He had to struggle with his vocation because he never saw himself as leader or a teacher of others. He wanted to be a disciple of the Lord - a fellow traveller with all who were seeking God, Christian and non-Christian. He enjoyed talking about the things of God and looked for many helpful guides on that search.

And now I want to share with you one of his favourite themes. A message which, I think, Hugh himself would love to leave to us. It is about the power of the present moment. Hugh longed and longed to live fully in the present moment. He said, "That is the secret of a happy life". The Kingdom of God is here and now he would say.

In the Gospel we just read the disciples on the road to Emmaus are dejected because their dear friend is dead. We feel like that these days. In this Eucharist I know that the Lord Jesus will come and walk among us. He will open our eyes. It seems clear to me that after all his years of searching and longing often in the dark, on Monday night last the Lord chose to reveal himself to Hugh so fully and so completely that it is impossible for Hugh to be anywhere else but there looking on his Lord and seeing him face-to-face in all his beauty and splendour. The veil has been lifted and now at last you can see and understand. All the speculations have given way to light. Enjoy it dear friend. And may we all meet together again one day to enjoy each other's company and to rejoice in the revelation of the great mystery of God that so fascinated and enthralled you all your life, a mystery that continues to draw each one of us closer.

Hugh. McAvoy, fellow Passionist, brother and dear friend rest in peace. Amen.