This weekend, we\u2019re marking the 10th anniversary of the day my deacon brother and classmate Jim Hynes entered eternal life.<\/p>\n
He was taken from us much too soon, just nine months after ordination, at the age of 50 after a brief battle with colon cancer.<\/p>\n
I\u2019ll never forget Jim\u2019s funeral on March 1, 2008. Bishop Frank Caggiano was the celebrant. Bagpipes played. It was a brilliant, brisk late winter morning. The church was packed with cops and clergy.\u00a0 I preached the homily\u2014the first funeral homily I delivered as a deacon\u2014 and I recalled how much Jim loved all things Disney and that his favorite Disney character was the character of conscience,\u00a0Jiminy Cricket:\u00a0<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n Jiminy Cricket sang about dreams \u2014 about wishing upon a star and trusting in things we can\u2019t see.<\/p>\n As the song put it: \u201cLike a bolt out of the blue, fate steps in and sees you through.\u201d<\/p>\n Fate. You could also call it luck, or destiny, or chance. It\u2019s been said that \u201cChance is the pseudonym God uses when he wants to remain anonymous.\u201d<\/p>\n Maybe the song is really telling us: \u201cLike a bolt out of the blue,\u00a0God<\/i><\/u>\u00a0steps in and sees you through.\u201d<\/p>\n That, in a nutshell, was Jim\u2019s theology. His life was a testament to it. And he left us a reminder of how God works in our lives \u2013 and how we are to live our lives.<\/p>\n Many of Jim\u2019s classmates today are wearing the stole that we received at our ordination. It carries the image of a fishing boat, headed out to sea. The person who designed it was Jim. Nothing made him prouder than to see everyone wearing that stole on ordination day. That image represents what Jesus told his disciples in Luke\u2019s gospel: put out into the deep. Sail into uncharted seas \u2014 guided by faith, trusting in God\u2019s infinite mercy.<\/p>\n That was Jim\u2019s journey. Now, he has finally arrived at that distant shore.<\/p>\n [img attachment=\u201d282653\u2033 align=\u201daligncenter\u201d size=\u201dfull\u201d \/]<\/p>\n This morning, the image on the stole rests where it belongs, over my heart. And as I look out at my brother deacons \u2014 also wearing that image over their hearts \u2014 I see Jim\u2019s legacy. This stole is a kind of beautiful and hope-filled homily \u2013 the greatest one Jim ever gave. And it\u2019s one that will be retold again and again and again.<\/p>\n It tells us: the sea won\u2019t always be smooth. The destination may not be clear.<\/p>\n But open your sails to the wind. Look above. Trust in the stars. Dare to dream. And: put out into the deep.<\/p>\n Because God steps in and see you through.<\/p>\n \u201cWhere I am going, you know the way.\u201d<\/p>\n Jim<\/i>\u00a0knew the way.<\/p>\n So: do not let your hearts be troubled!<\/p><\/blockquote>\n God love you and keep you, brother. We all love you and miss you. This one\u2019s for you:<\/p>\n