Fr. Casimir Bernas, Funeral Homily, August 13, 2024
Rom 14: 7-9, 10c-12 (1014.6); Mt 11: 25-30 (1016.2)
None of us lives for oneself, and no one dies for oneself. For if we live, we live for the Lord, and if we die, we die for the Lord; so then, whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s. For this is why Christ died and came to life, that he might be Lord of both the dead and the living. Why then do you judge your brother? Or you, why do you look down on your brother? For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of God; for it is written: “As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bend before me, and every tongue shall give praise to God.” So [then] each of us shall give an account of himself [to God].
At that time Jesus said in reply, “I give praise to you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for although you have hidden these things from the wise and the learned you have revealed them to the childlike. Yes, Father, such has been your gracious will. All things have been handed over to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son wishes to reveal him. “Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for yourselves. For my yoke is easy, and my burden light.”
We gather today for the funeral and rites of Christian burial for Fr. Casimir, an independent-minded man from the independent-minded Huntsville community of Trappists in the independent-minded State of Utah, in the independent-minded country, USA. The one thing these different levels of independence have in common is that they are all illusory. As we just heard from Saint Paul, “No one lives for oneself, and no one dies for oneself . . . whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s.” Everything about us is in his hands, and he often entrusts us to the hands of others.
At the same time, each of us is unique; each of us has talents and capabilities to cultivate; and each of us bears responsibility for what we do with the life given us. Again, as Saint Paul said, “. . . we shall all give an account of ourselves [to God].”
Fr. Casimir certainly worked with what the Lord gave him. His vocation was clear to him, as can be seen in his 72 years as a monk and 66 years as a priest. With the support of his community, he became a good linguist and an accomplished biblical scholar. He did some teaching in monasteries, but
his most constant activity was reviewing books of biblical studies for scholarly journals. He was much sought after in this area and wrote hundreds of such reviews. He lived outside of the monastery for a number of years to take care of his father in his last years. During that time, especially, he was able to pursue his enthusiasm for cinema, of which he had an uncommonly in-depth knowledge. Most of his life, though, was spent following the daily routine in Huntsville. There, as is the case with all monks, he fulfilled a wide variety of roles, and even served a term as abbot of his community—a full life to be sure.
But activities and projects and initiatives come to an end. The limitations of age make themselves felt. Even the monastery Fr. Casimir joined in its earliest years completed its journey within his lifetime. The winding down brought him to see in a concrete way that “None of us lives for oneself, and no one dies for oneself.”
Competence, strength, and independence take us only so far. At some point, in fact, even our drives and strengths become a burden. Jesus’ words touch us most when we are worn down and begin to experience our limitations: “Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest.” It can be difficult letting go; it certainly was for Fr. Casimir.
But it is also a time of grace. Although I am only an occasional visitor, I have been impressed by the network of solidarity and care in the Christian community here. For all their rugged independence, the monks from Huntsville have been surrounded by the affection and generosity of friends, neighbors, and fellow believers throughout their stay here in Utah.
I am personally grateful to so many of the Villa staff, the chaplaincy, the wider Catholic community, and the many friends who have been so welcoming and charitable to the brothers of Huntsville in their final years. Through you they have experienced something of the Lord’s welcome: “Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for yourselves.”
So, it is especially on a note of gratitude that we commend our Fr. Casimir to the Lord today. Gratitude for a long, full, and deeply meaningful life, and gratitude for the impressive witness of Christian charity in the wider community that accompanied him all along the way