ARCHDIOCESE OF PHILADELPHIA

Dear Family of Petty Officer 1st Class Michael Strange,
Distinguished Authorities of our Community,
Esteemed Men and Women in Uniform,
Dear Friends,

In the context of hope in God, we gather this afternoon, here in this Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul, to mourn the death of Petty officer 1st Class Michael Strange.

At this time we express our solidarity, our compassion, our closeness to his parents, his fiancée, his siblings, his family members and so many friends and colleagues. The dark shadow of tragedy extends indeed over our whole community and affects us all personally.

Michael Strange was very much a part of our community. He was a 2004-graduate of North Catholic High School, imbued with a desire to be of service to his country and its citizens. In exercising his service he fulfilled the important role of cryptologist technician assigned to a Navy SEAL team. And it was as such that, together with so many of his colleagues, he was shot down on August 6th in the deadliest single loss of U.S. forces in the decade-long war in Afghanistan.

The circumstances of his death reveal again how the young, the innocent, the peace-loving of this generation are so deeply affected by the violent conflicts of the world that find their origin in the reality of evil, in the mystery of iniquity.

Today we come together, in a spirit of prayer, to commend his soul to the loving mercy of Almighty God and to invoke upon Michael eternal peace and joy in God's kingdom of love and light. We cannot un-do the tragedy that has struck this young man, overwhelmed his family and loved ones, and caused great consternation throughout the length and breadth of the United States of America. But we can take refuge in the goodness of God, reflect on God's promises and find solace in His holy word. In brief, we are called to confront the mystery of iniquity and the power of death with the even greater power of God's love that overcomes death and guarantees eternal life.

In our quest for consolation and truly meaningful support, we turn to God's word, which triumphs over evil and subjects to itself even death. We rejoice in God's promise revealed through the prophet Isaiah, who tells us that God "will destroy death forever." He assures us: "The Lord God will wipe away the tears from all faces.... On that day it will be said: 'Behold our God to whom we looked to save us!'"

This great assurance of the prophet Isaiah is further amplified in our second reading by Saint Paul, who proclaims: "We know that if our earthly dwelling...should be destroyed, we have a building from God, a dwelling not made with hands, eternal in heaven."

And finally, the Lord Jesus Himself, speaking to us in the Gospel, tells us: "Do not let your hearts be troubled.... In my Father's house there are many dwelling places. If there were not, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back again and take you to myself, so that where I am you also may be."

Every reflection of ours, dear friends, on the mystery of death, necessarily leads us to a reflection on the purpose and meaning of life. The reading from Saint Paul which I cited points out to us that we must aspire in life to please God. This means that we are called to live according to God's commandments, according to the plan He has set up for us to follow. And Saint Paul reminds us that we must all eventually appear before the judgment seat of Christ, as he says, "so that each may receive recompense, according to what he did in the body, whether evil or good."

Today we give thanks to God for all the good that inspired Michael Strange, for all the service that he rendered to his fellow men and women, for all the goodness that he shared with others as an upright citizen and a professed Catholic, for all the love in his heart.

As we invoke—in the long tradition of the Church—God's mercy on Michael's soul, we ask the Lord to give peace to our world, to save our young people from the scourges of violence and war, and to bring about a civilization of justice and love. We pray that our generous peace-keepers at the service of international order, and all our men and women in uniform, whom we acknowledge and so deeply thank today, will not be subjected in the future to those perils in this generation that brought about the death of Michael and of so many other upright public servants.

Let us then, dear friends, in our loss and sorrow, confidently turn our minds and hearts to the One who directs our lives and assists us in all our needs. As the beautiful Psalm 23 assures us: "The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want." And again: "Though I walk in the valley of darkness, I fear no evil, for you are with me." And finally, in these words, the Psalm gives us the reason for our confidence, the motive for our hope: "I shall dwell in the house of the Lord for years to come."

For those of us who remain, it is so important that we re-enforce our unity and mutual support in fraternal love and understanding, amidst the joys and sorrows, the hopes, anxieties and burdens of life. Today, as citizens of a great land and as children of God, we are called to renew our commitment to live as one nation "under God, with liberty and justice for all." In doing so we acknowledge the primacy of God in our society and in our own lives and humbly turn toward Him. For our beloved brother Michael we ask that he be granted eternal peace with God, and for ourselves that we may be faithful to the end. Amen.