Homily: Funeral of Deacon Richard Radford

On Wednesday, June 19, 2019, Bishop John Noonan of the Diocese of Orlando visited our parish to celebrate the Funeral Mass of one of our deacons, Deacon Richard Radford. Dick Radford was a friend, an older, wiser brother, a partner in prayer, and a wonderful man who taught me much during the dozen years we'd known each other. His family and his brother deacons will miss him greatly, but take comfort that we can now call on him to intercede for us at the throne of our loving God.

I was asked to preach the homily at Dick's Funeral Mass. This was no easy thing and my love for this man often rose to the surface as I preached. Oh, and Dick's little grandson -- whose name is Deacon -- approached me several times during the homily. What a delightful child! Indeed, he reminds me of his grandfather.

A have embedded a video of the homily below. The complete text follows.

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Readings: Dan 12:1-3; Rom 5:17-21; Jn 6:37-40
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Bishop Noonan, on behalf of Lynne and the Radford family, I thank you for being here today to celebrate this funeral mass for one of our own, for our beloved Deacon Richard.

And Lynne, I know that Bishop Noonan, Fathers Peter and John, and all my brother deacons join me in extending our deepest condolences to you, to Richard and Amy, to Nora and to little Deacon. We know how hard this has been for you all, and we know, too, that words are never enough.

Indeed, my words here today will soon be forgotten, but not God's Word; it remains. It remains to nourish us, and to give us hope. And so let me extend something far better than my mere words. Let me extend God's peace and God's love.

I can only imagine how much you miss Dick, but if you let Him, God will fill this empty spot in the very heart of your family. He will fill it with His grace, bringing with it His peace and His enduring love. I, too, am in need of it today, for I loved Richard like a brother...a big brother.

I remember the first time I met Dick -- 12 or 13 years ago. He approached me after Mass, and said something to the effect: "Hey, can you use another deacon around here?"

Lynne & Dick Radford - Parish Picnic 2012

At the time our deacon population at St. Vincent de Paul was expanding rapidly, but when I caught that Boston accent, I thought, well, we already have three of us from Massachusetts...why not another? So I just said, "Richard, if you can convince the diocese, I'm sure the pastor and the parish will welcome you with open arms."

It didn't take me long to realize we now had a true Renaissance man in our midst.

Yes, Richard seemed to have done it all. He was an Army veteran, he'd earned a doctorate in education, was a poet, a published author, a revered teacher, a man who'd worked as an interpreter and translator of French, German... and presumably Bostonian.

But these were just small pieces of Dick's life, for it was his through his diaconate, his servanthood, that Deacon Richard truly fulfilled God's calling for him. And this was the Deacon Richard, the servant of God, that I came to know a dozen years ago. 

For more than 20 years he had done God's work in the Boston Archdiocese, and what remarkable work it had been. He'd managed a halfway house for men released from prison. He ran shelters for the homeless, for street people and for women and children. He was a Licensed Social Worker, an addictions counselor, and a chaplain at a women's prison.

He knew that the power of God's grace would overwhelm the sinfulness that surrounds us in this world. As St. Paul reminded us in our second reading:

"...where sin increased, grace overflowed all the more" [Rom 5:20].

Yes, the Holy Spirit worked through Deacon Richard, showering His grace on those in need. And through it all - thanks also to St. Lynne here - Dick maintained the balance we all seek, as a loving husband, father, and grandfather. But, remarkably, Dick rarely alluded to all that he had done. I had to learn about it over time from others.

Yes, he was a man of virtue, but virtue grounded in deep humility. How did the prophet put it in today's first reading from Daniel?

"And those who lead the many to justice shall be like the stars forever" [Dan 12:3].

Yes, indeed, Richard's star shone brightly, but in his humility he knew that his starlight was just a reflection of Our Lord who said:

"I am the Light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life" [Jn 8:12].

What a wonderful promise! And when you talked with Richard, when you prayed with him, that "light of life" just shone from his face.

The Gospel, the Good News, is filled with promises, and because they all come from the eternal Word of God, from our Lord Jesus Christ, we know with absolute certainty they will be fulfilled. Just consider today's passage from John's Gospel:

"This is the will of my Father, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have eternal life, and I shall raise Him on the last day" [Jn 6:40].

Here, through Jesus, we receive a promise that reflects the will of our heavenly Father.

But what does it mean to see the Son and believe in Him?

Just think about it. Did Deacon Richard experience the presence of Jesus Christ? Of course he did. 

He heard the Son, the revealed Word of God, whenever Sacred Scripture was proclaimed, and he believed.

And Richard saw and encountered the Son in the Eucharist, that wondrous gift through which Jesus Christ makes Himself present to the Church until the end of time. 

But Richard also encountered Our Lord, he saw and believed, in another, most remarkable way. For when Richard was ordained 31 years ago, he and heard these words from his bishop:

"Receive the Gospel of Christ, whose herald you now are. Believe what you read, teach what you believe, and practice what you teach."

And, oh, did Richard practice, as he encountered Jesus again and again in all those he helped throughout his life. Recall Jesus' words in Matthew 25? 

"...whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me" [Mt 25:40].

Yes, you and I and Deacon Richard, we encounter Jesus every day. We see Him in those who come to us in need, in those who come to us for healing. And through his ministry this good deacon brought God's healing power into the world. 

So many in need of healing experienced God's touch during our healing services at which Deacon Richard played such a conspicuous role. I cannot count how many people have approached me in recent months, concerned about Deacon Richard's health, and said to me, "It is through Deacon Richard, through his prayer, that I was healed." I'm sure many of these are in this church today.

Dick, a minister of the Holy Spirit's healing power, a prayerful charismatic, took St. Paul's invitation - "Pray without ceasing" [1 Thes 5:17] - literally. 

He and I often spoke of prayer and he taught me much about opening every aspect of my life to the working of the Holy Spirit. And for this, I will always be grateful.

Of course, this leads me to one aspect of Dick's life that I've neglected; and that is golf - perhaps because I'm one of the few in The Villages who doesn't play. But after 15 years here, and with Dick's help, I've come to appreciate, from a spectator's perspective, the theology of golf. 

I am convinced that golf added years to Dick's life. He enjoyed it so much, I think God rewarded him by letting him play, despite his illnesses and failing health, until almost the last days of his life.

You see, following St. Paul's advice -- "...whatever you do, do everything for the glory of God" [1 Cor 10:31] -- Dick gave God an awful lot of glory through his amazing golf game.

As one of his golf buddies said to me, "Playing with Dick was a spiritual experience. He was so good I spent most the round praying." And how did John put it in the Book of Revelation?

"He will rule them with an iron rod" [Rev 2:27]. 

Yes, indeed.

But we should realize, too, that this funeral Mass is less a celebration of Dick's life as it is an act of worship, but Eucharistic worship in the form of thanksgiving.

This is truly a time of thanksgiving, when we turn to our loving and merciful God and thank Him for the gift of Deacon Richard's unique, unrepeatable life, a life we were blessed not only to witness, but also to share.

But even more important, as Christians, whenever we gather at Mass, at the Eucharistic table, we thank our God for the gift of His Son, Who gave His life for us. For without that gift, we would have no hope: no hope of forgiveness, no hope of mercy, no hope of salvation, no hope of eternal life.

It's because of this gift that we can gather here today and not be consumed by grief.

Because of this gift we don't despair.

Because of this gift can go on...We can continue with our own lives knowing that Richard, and you, and I - that we've all been redeemed by our Lord, Jesus Christ.

Dick's was a life well lived. He savored that life, that gift, and accepted its challenges and joys, and, yes, he also accepted the pain and suffering that accompanied many years of illness.

And so today we ask our Lord Jesus to take Deacon Richard, his "good and faithful servant," into His loving embrace, to take away the pain, to wipe away the tears, and give him the first taste of that eternal joy we all hope to share.