Candles, Crosses, and the Hope of Resurrection

10May25 (25BuchFuneral). Homily from my uncle Stephan’s funeral. We gather at funerals with a threefold purpose: to pray for our loved one, to support one another in grief, and to celebrate a life given in love. We come as a people of hope—not in ourselves, but in Jesus Christ, who died and rose again. His resurrection gives our sorrow meaning and our prayers power. As Christians, we are called to live like candles: giving light by giving of ourselves. Even in grief, we are reminded that our final hope is not in this world, but in the mercy of God and the promise of eternal life.