Margaret Foster’s Funeral

If I’m long winded on a normal Sunday, what will I be like today? I hope you brought a pillow.  “A soldier thrust his lance into Jesus side. And immediately blood and water flowed out from the Sacred Heart of our Lord,” His heart that had been broken, and then pierced. “At that moment of such suffering flowed out grace and mercy and transforming redeeming love.” And so, at this moment, which is a moment also in which there’s a lot of emotion, that’s our prayer. And I think it was mom’s desire, it is mom’s desire, I think that this be a grace also, for each one of you. I think she’s so grateful for your presence and wanting this to be a grace for each one of you who have come today. Last night, my siblings were sharing about mom, especially the experience of her as a wife and mother, and beautiful experiences and it’d be so much else to say her involvement with a charismatic renewal. Many years ago, in 1973, she got very involved with birthright and worked in that for many years, with helping young women who were pregnant. And later on in other years, she got very involved in a Marian prayer group. And a lot of it’ll be a lot a lot. But I don’t want to try to go into all of that. But I just want to highlight now, two points. And two long points. Don’t get your hopes up. But the reason is, I think, because the Church is a body of Christ, the body of Christ, a great family. And so, the graces that are given to one member, are meant for all of us, to be shared among all of us, because we all are part of this one family in Jesus. And so, as someone said they had asked my mom that they lost their own mom, and they asked my mom to be their foster mom, to be like a foster family for them. And so again, this is what I share here, I think is because it’s for all of us. So, the first point is her hidden role in this little Mission of Divine Mercy, this poor little mission Divine Mercy, which was started 20 years ago. And I mean, it officially started 20 years ago, but the roots go back much deeper. And I think for my own faith, I was growing up in Morgantown, West Virginia, in the 60s and 70s. And the parish we went to, and the Catholic school that we went to, were not at that point, not so inspiring, because you have difficult times for the Church. But so, for me, I think my faith came first of all, from my family, from my mom and dad and they, of course, received it from their own roots and family. On my mom’s side, she was an O’Connor and so the Irish Catholic tradition, which had suffered a lot for many centuries. And also on her side, English, English Catholics who had remained Catholics during those difficult centuries of persecution and had at one point, immigrated to Maryland, and then later on had come to near a little place near Bardstown, Kentucky. Bardstown was with the first diocese west of the Appalachians. And so that became a little Catholic center and my mom and dad have their roots in a little town nearby, called Springfield, Kentucky. And so, my brother David and his wife, Lynn, have felt a call drawn back there, drawn back to live there, which represents for us these roots, these Catholic roots that we received, strengthening those roots, those foundations. And my mom and dad were both very supportive of our vocations. And when I was in Monterey in the 90s, and I had some experiences that helped prepare the inspiration for this mission. And I shared that with the family and extended family and mom, after a while, began talking about wanting to at some point to come down and even talking about coming down and moving down here. And in fact, when the mission started, we didn’t have any money. And she was the one who gave us a donation which made it possible to begin this effort. As my brother Russ said last night, when he heard about, he said, it sounded like a long shot to him and it was a long shot. It’s still a long shot. But um, so I won’t, if we had more time, I’d like to tell about how the Lord has gathered so many members of my family down here so we could be the symbol of nepotism for the Church. But it was providence, permitted my brother Russ and his wife, Jeannie to move into the house, my mom’s house in Morgantown, West Virginia.  At the time, my mom and my sister Emily had both lost their husband. And so, mom at 85 years old, when, you know, life seems pretty much over. She at that point made this big change, I think of Abraham being called to start a new change when he was very old. And so, my mom at 85 years old, began this new adventure coming down here and eventually becoming a part of the Amici Christie. And but my point is that I want to acknowledge the debt we owe to my mom, and to all those who have gone before us and to all those who have transmitted the faith and love on, which the foundations on which we are building. Without her, I think I can say without her, that this Mission of Divine Mercy would not be here. So that’s the first point, that how important her hidden role was to this mission. And beginning not 10 years ago, 20 years ago, but beginning a long time ago.  But the main point I want to focus on today is the end of her life. She had a very rich life, but I want to focus on the end, whenever I celebrate a Catholic funeral, I like to recall the importance of purgatory because many Catholics forget about purgatory. All of us are imperfect, all of us are sinners, all of us are in need of God’s mercy. And purgatory is nothing else, as one mystic said, “than the great school of love, where God’s children learn how to love, what they were not able to learn during their life on earth. It is where they are also healed, made whole, restored, in order to become the living tabernacles of His love, and all its fullness.” And so, the reason we offer this Mass and pray for them is so that we can help those in Purgatory who are still in need of it. And if one soul doesn’t need those prayers, certainly the other souls can benefit from them. So, we can help these souls as they continue their purifying process, preparation for heaven in Purgatory. But God doesn’t want us to have to go to purgatory, He wants us to, by accepting His will, which is often crucifying, to live our purification here on Earth, and so that we can go straight into His arms. So, mom lived to 98, and in many ways, that’s a blessing. But in many ways, it’s also very difficult. It’s kind of, in some ways, it’s kind of like a long, slow, letting go.  A long, slow dying, so many of the people that she was close to had already passed on. And she began losing, you know, so many abilities and becoming more and more dependent. Russ and Dave were able to come down not so long ago when we knew that she probably wouldn’t last too much longer, able to come down and visit her when she was still able to appreciate their visit. And then around mid-December, her situation began to decline a lot. And so, she needed more and more help and Philomena, who had been helping her as a good friend for many years became such a tremendous help at that time. And Mother Magdalene and Brother Mikael, as my mom began needing round the clock care demanding care Mother Magdalene, Brother Mikael, very generously, began helping out more and more, taking many of the night shifts. And especially my sister Emily and my brother, Paul, who were living there with her, had been helping her now for many years and it affected their own lives in many ways. It was the grace but also involved a lot of sacrifices and they and those last periods it was tremendous generosity, patience, and love for my mom, as her situation got worse. And so, the last day or so, during those last two months, in the last month, she was obviously oftentimes suffering. And it was hard to tell how much was physical, how much was mental. Because there was some confusion, though her mind was really pretty clear up until the end. And how much of it was spiritual, she at one point, she said, “You can’t imagine how mean the devil is.” And she told Mother Magdalene the devil was reminding her of all the people that she had never given a second thought to. And we would hear her praying, Holy Mary, Mother of God, or my God, my God.  So, the first thing I would say about her last days is they were hard. They were hard, like, you know, it is for a lot of people. But I would also say the second point of those three points is that there are also mysterious, that is that there’s something going on, that’s not just human. There’s a deeper dimension, divine dimension to what is happening, hidden under very humble, humiliating, appearances. So hard, yet mysterious. And also, blessed, hard but blessed, I think there was a lot of graces, and I think grace will take a while, to often to first become aware of them, hard, hard, mysterious, blessed. And there’s someone else whose life at the end was hard, mysterious and blessed. And of course, it’s Jesus Christ above all. And so, our own lives, and especially at those difficult ends, can be a special union with Jesus in His own suffering. St. Paul says, “are you unaware that we who are Baptized into Christ Jesus, were Baptized into His death, for if we have grown with Him, for if we have grown into union with Him through a death like His, grow into a union with Jesus, because that’s the whole reason for our life, is to grow into union with Jesus. But St. Paul says, “through a death like his, we shall also be united with Him in the Resurrection. If then we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him.” One of the weird things about the Mission of Divine Mercy and there’s a lot of weird things about the Mission of Divine Mercy. But one of them is that the Lord has kind of dragged us into prophecy, made us aware that prophecy is something that is important, not just for the Church 2000 years ago, but as Saint Thomas Aquinas says, “it’s a continuing grace for the Church.”  And those of you who come here often have heard me talk about it so much. But I won’t talk about it too much now. But it has significance for what I’m going to say. And St. Paul says, you know prophecy is not always about the future. St. Paul says prophecy, “the gift of prophecy is above all for the upbuilding and encouragement and consolation,” upbuilding an encouragement and consolation. And boy do we need upbuilding encouragement and consolation. So, I want to share with you a little message I think that the Lord gave us, and especially for, especially for Emily and Paul, and my mom.  I hesitate to share this because it’s kind of personal. But I think I want to share it because I think it’s not just for her and for them, but I think it can be for many, many of us, many who are struggling or will struggle in similar ways and also for their caregivers and all that the caregivers go through. Because it’s kind of scandalizing when a person has been so good during this life, to have such a hard end. And you know, we can feel, Lord, why? And, again, that was the experience of Jesus, that had such a hard end. Why, Lord, are You permitting this? And so, Jesus wants to help us understand the mystery of His redemptive sacrifice, a suffering which is transforming, liberating, redeeming in His own mother’s compassion and participation in that and our own participation in that great work of redemption. And so here I’ll share with you this message and it’s a little bit long but maybe there’s one part of it that that might be helpful for you. And if you want, you can close your eyes as you listen to this and fall gently asleep.  “Emily and Paul, my children, I love you.  All the pain and exhaustion are infinitely fruitful. Each second has its reason and purpose, nothing is wasted. This part of the offering atones for so much, advances, hastens My hour. You do not see it or feel it. But I know, I see, and I tell you that it greatly hastens My hour.  My beloved little Margaret, it is your Abba,” Abba representing God the Father, “it is your Abba who says to you, between you and Me, there is only love, only love, only love, only love.  What you are experiencing, what you are experiencing My heaven’s closed. The fear of rejection from My heart. The relentless longing for rest in My arms.” Like she was saying she wanted to go to heaven, but Heaven was closed. “All of this my beloved one, all of it is a union with our Jesus on the cross expiating for all the lacks of trust.  For a soul that loves Me, that trusts Me, who longs for Me to expiate this lack of other Souls, is a piercing pain, and one that is like having to wear a heavy, burdensome, irritating garment that one wants to take off immediately. My little one just a little longer and you will come to us, to our open arms, there is nothing but love awaiting you. Have no fear. Even though your mind and your heart feel fear, experience fear, in the very depths of your being, be at peace. But you love every second of it is Mine. You’re helping Me save so many of My children, saving them from the darkness of the lack of faith, the dreadful bonds that the enemy tries to tie around each soul, to suffocate My light and My life and My children.”  It was funny she hadn’t heard this message, but she was telling us to cut the bonds, cut the bonds that are holding Me. “You are fighting with Me to release My children from these bonds of hell. But the only bond surrounding you is My love. Only this. Do not be afraid. Nothing can take you from My arms, My heart, My love, nothing. I bless you with all My love, My little warrior. Mighty in the battle against the darkness of hell. Thank you to your daughter, my heart for all you offer out of love for Me.”  “Now I, Your Heavenly Mother, speak to you.  How close we are, my little one. You will soon see how very close you and I are in this great mission. You are sustaining your children as I sustained mine, that they might be strengthened to fulfill their missions. How much effort and pain there is in this work. Come and rest on my heart, in my arms, breathe my love. You have been faithful in what has been entrusted to you and you are fulfilling your part of the offering. You make us happy, my daughter, you make your God happy. I give you my peace as a garment and as a food nourishment. As a garment of light to wear, to warm you and soothe you, to cool and heal all the wounds that as a stalwart warrior you have received in the battle, as the food to enter into your whole being that my peace may enter every cell, every thought, every heartbeat, that my peace may claim you completely. My daughter, despite the battle that rages outside, inside in your depths, surround yourself with my peace, the peace that comes from our love for you, and from the fulfillment of our will. Have no fear, have no fear, little one beloved of mine. I am carrying you in my arms, and you will fall asleep here next to my heart, and you will awaken in my arms in paradise. And the first thing you will see is our Jesus’ smile, which will be the recompense for everything. I love you and I bless you.” “ Margaret of my heart now it is I Your Jesus. Yes, I know the longing of your heart. And how you feel abandoned by Me, betrayed even. How we can even feel abandoned and betrayed by God. How much it pains Me to have to allow this suffering. The thorns which pierced Me are piercing you. The mental torture that my enemy inflicts upon My children in order to separate them from Me, from the Father. I experienced it too. I experienced fear, confusion, sorrow, longing, feeling betrayed by the one I loved and trusted completely. We are living this hour together, my little one. Victim souls of expiation for the lacks of faith that are destroying the hearts of My children. The victims must experience everything, must bear everything, must appear as nothings, as weak, useless, ineffective, as having lost their minds, their way.  This is what the world sees, what your humanity sees. But I see very different and that’s a key point. The difference between how things appear to us and how they appear in reality for God. I see very different. I see you clasped to My heart, pierced by the same poin,t pierced by the same thorns, the same nails that pierce Me, our blood and tears mixing with our cries that rise up to the Father’s heart to attain mercy and forgiveness. What I see is light and love pulsating radiating out of you with each heartbeat, making you more and more beautiful in My sight in the sight of the angels in the sight of all of paradise. Just a little hump and you will rest in My heart, and you will see the fruits of so much labor and pain. I love you My Margaret, I love you.  Now I will speak to you, My Emily and My Paul. You are doing what can be done. You are helping her fulfill her last work. You’re helping her to make her final offering. It is a joint offering, the pain, the interior pain, she is living is mine. But the enemy is also trying to disturb her peace as he always does. Make the sign of the cross on her frequently, it will help her to feel more at peace.” And we have here a priest of the Holy Cross so that as a sign. “I will place my hand on yours and we will bless her together,claiming her as My own, each time more profoundly. I placed My hand on her heart. Tell her this, to imagine My hand over her heart to take My hand in her hands and place it on her forehead, over her heart and wherever she feels pain or anxiety.  And you my little ones, do the same for yourself. This hand caresses you, strengthens you and helps you with all you do to care for your mother. My children as the hour of a person’s going from this life into eternal life draws closer, the person enters this mystery as one enters mist and fog. Some things recede while others become more and more important or immediate. The heart and mind are being pulled in two directions and one experiences a multitude of emotions and uncertainties. This is the human experience which often hides or shrouds the experience of the soul. Her soul is united to Me. And thus, it shall remain forever. Nothing can separate her from Me. But she won’t always feel or sense this. So, tell her that I have said that I love her. But I have claimed her as My own, regardless of how she feels or acts.  How much patience you will need my little ones that I will help you. My mother and I are with you, helping you, helping you help your mother, as we took care and helped St. Joseph to the end. And as we surrounded him, so we surround your mother, do what you can, your prayer is your caring for her, I say to you, I say to you, two, between you and I there is only love, you are in confidence with Me. And I did not want you to worry about praying, your soul is doing it and incessantly with Me, offering everything to Our Father. I will send you some help. Do what you can humanly, trust in the help of the Holy Angels. Ask them to help you rest. Everything is in My hands. I bless you all, united to help your mother accomplish this last work entrusted to her, Your Jesus one with you.”  So, I want to share a little bit about her last hour. So, this was Monday, St. Valentine’s Day. The night, the weekend had been difficult.  And that morning, she was just moaning, groaning in pain and they were giving her more painkillers to try to help. And early in the afternoon, my sister Emily called us and said I think it’s good that you come now. And so, we gathered and as she had been moaning for a long time. But then right about that time, there’s kind of a mysterious change.  Her eyes had been closed most of the recent days, just opening briefly. And then all of a sudden, she opened her eyes real wide. And she kind of looked around the room at us. And she just fixed her eyes towards something that was up. And her eyes, they weren’t blinking.  That’s one thing Mother Magdalene mentioned, her eyes weren’t blinking. She hadn’t looked like that, I don’t think I’ve ever seen her look like that, especially during this, especially during this last month. These wide-open eyes, Emily said that she saw her face, relax and even have a little smile. And so, she stopped moaning but she was still panting for breath. So, we began praying the Chaplet of Divine Mercy. And as we were praying she gradually, her panting got more and more peaceful. And then she closed her eyes. And at one point there was this little kind of like a little grimace. And we kept praying with the commendation of the dying, and we read a letter that Dave had written to her and praying the rosary. And I don’t know exactly what time we finished the rosary about three o’clock, the Hour of Mercy. I don’t know exactly when because it was very kind of subtle and peaceful. But it seemed like she had gone already. And so that was kind of mysterious. So, the one thing we were blessed that we are able to be around her at the at the Hour of Mercy and to be praying with her. And it’s a matter of the mysterious experience at the end. The psalm today says, “The Lord keeps His little ones. I was brought low and He saved me. I believed even when I said I am greatly afflicted, precious in the eyes of the Lord is the death of His faithful ones. O Lord, I am your servant. You have loosened my bonds.” So the last stage could seem and it was in many ways sad, painful, humiliating. But that’s what we can see. And I think in God’s eyes, it was actually, her crowning achievement, rising to a new level and accomplishing her final mission, her final mission on earth because I think she’s gonna be busy now, too. And so, as I said, as a conclusion, I hope that this can be a grace for all of you too, because our lives are often hard and mysterious. And yet there are blessings of hope, of mercy, of divine love. The Heart of Jesus, which was pierced, but responded with grace and mercy and love. That’s the heart that’s represented in the image of Divine Mercy, those rays of blood and water, grace and mercy flowing from His heart, sharing His glory. And as we gather at the Mass, the Mass is  not just a memorial service, it’s not just to remember someone, but it’s with this person with mom, to unite ourselves to this great sacrifice of Jesus, united all the suffering and sorrow in our own lives, to the sacrifice of Jesus so that from that sacrifice, come, transforming Grace, mercy, and love for ourselves and for our whole world. And that we also then can share for all eternity, His glory. And so I’ll end, finally, I’ll end, finally, by just rereading this passage from wisdom that we heard.  “The souls of the just are in the hands of God, and no torment shall touch them. They seemed in the view of the foolish to be dead, and they’re passing away was thought and affliction and they’re going forth from us, utter distruction, but they are in peace. For if before men, indeed they be punished, yet is their hope full of immortality. Chastised a little they shall be greatly blessed, because God tried them and found them worthy of Himself as gold in the furnace, He proved them, and as sacrificial offerings, He took them to Himself. Those who trust in Him shall understand truth, and the faithful shall abide with Him in love. Because grace and mercy are with His holy ones.  And His care is with His elect.  Jesus, we trust in You.