As Samantha would say ~ keep it short okay Uncle Keith – okay Sam, alright .

Because yes, we are here today to simply remember Samantha and to simply pray for her.                                  And even when it still seems like a very bad dream that one morning we will wake up from - the reality slowly begins to sink in.   Our daughter, our grand-daughter, our sister, our niece,                        aunt, cousin and friend Samantha – Sam.

It is true that not all of us can be a Ghandi or a Mother Teresa or a Martin Luther King and                be the cause of wide sweeping beautiful changes in this world but   IT IS TRUE  –  it is true   that each us, including Sam, and maybe especially Sam, are given by God a little corner of                  the world. And all that we have to do – is to make a difference in that little corner of the world – there to make a difference.     And I tried to imagine if everyone, everyone, in their corner of the world did as well as Samantha did in her 32 years; as lovingly as she did in 32 years                        what a beautiful world this would be – filled with peace, filled generosity, filled with love.                                                                                                                                              Yes also full of cats !         But a beautiful beautiful  world.

I  and you  certainly knew this is of Samantha – Like most of you I have known her all her life.                                   And we have ALL seen that generosity; that intelligence; that kindness. You could always rely on Sam  --- whether it be at work at Lufthansa when she would work Christmas and holidays        so that others with families could have time off ;  or how she would be there for mom and dad when dad was so sick - she was the number one chauffeur and fixer upper.                                                                       In so many ways Samantha put others first.   That was her corner of the world.                                    Her corner of the world from God.  Of what she did.                                                                                                       But ofcourse also having lotsa fun doing so.  

I will call it her quirkiness. Yes, even as a child her quirkiness – Actually I was trying to remember if she was the one who started the water fight inside the cottage at Love Sick Lake or maybe it was Fr Peter !  But she always had this warmth; this kindness of heart.                            And yes her quirkiness.                                                                                                                                                    How in her corner of the world she managed to mix- Airplanes and Cats; Formula One Racing and Knitting; Women’s involvement in Formula One, London paraphernalia,music and Dr Who;                    how she accepted and loved all people. This reminded me of the posting that I pulled off                       her Facebook page that says so much for her corner of the world –     I like weird people –                     the black sheep, the odd ducks, the rejects and the eccentrics, the loners, the lost and                            the forgotten. More often than not these people have the most beautiful souls.

Sounds actually like Pope Francis.

Samantha both … had …… and saw ….  the beautiful soul in everyone.                                                                And that is how Samantha cared for the corner of the world given to her from God.                          The odd ducks, the eccentrics, the lonely and the forgotten.

And if she only knew …..  hers was the most beautiful soul of all.

Our Gospel   our prayers for today  -                                                                                                                                                                                      Yes God sees that beautiful corner of the world that Sam nurtured as He sees all things ;                                             And He was present there in that place                                                                                                                       and He is also present here in this place, this corner of the world.                                                                                                                        

The Gospel I choose for today tells us of another family – another very young family - Lazarus and his sisters Martha and Mary. And it tells how that day many had come to be with Mary and Martha over the death of their young brother Lazarus.  First of all like that family  –                        we have been overwhelmed by the support for Anne, mom, David and Kristin and Frank and all the family. We  thank God for this.

And,   as in the Gospel,    Jesus stands among them  – and us - and all the help that He offers.                  I do not think that it was a coincidence that her brother David got time off from Air Force in  Nova Scotia to be staying  there in the house when this tragedy happened That was by the Hand of God. Or I was just down the road. Or the outpouring of help from neighbours and friends. Yes it was the hand of God -  of Jesus’ help in a very real way.

And - Yes like Martha in the Gospel we too are very – like, very upset and can ask –                                 where are you ?   Lord help us. What am I going to do ? What is happening ?    

But then we hear Jesus’ voice and his prayer                                                                                                                                       – not giving advice or answers but simply saying –                                                                                                                                   I am here; I am the Way; I am Truth; I am Love, I am Life.                                                                                       And at a time like this that may be all we need to know.                                                                                      Way, Truth, Life, Love –                                                                                                                                           -                   because that is what filled Samantha’s corner was filled with -  Truth,   Love,   Life.

Enough ? Have I preached enough ?  – no…. not enough – for the time has been short.

Sammy  Sam  Samantha

Your garden has bloomed. Your garden has flourished. That beautiful corner of the world.                      As the seeds of the flower die and are blown by the winds We will catch those seeds and replant them again and again.

Good Shepherd take her hand, see her quirky smile, her gentle heart, her kind spirit,                                   keep her in Your care and  keep her a breath away from us.

Amen

Father Keith Wallace   St Bernadette’s Catholic Church Ajax  Uncle of Samantha Kurcsis