Homily
Thursday,
March 6, 2014
Funeral:
Sr. Merle Milligan, SSJD
Homilist:
Bishop Linda Nicholls
From
the moment we draw our first breath in this world we are pushed
pummelled, shaped and formed by the world around and within us,
From the accidents of our birth -family, place & time to the
social milieu & world events to the choices of ourselves and
others we are formed and at time choose to be formed. Our first
hymn today described that process so well…….
 |
| The Rt. Rev. Linda Nicholls |
Great
God, your love has called us here as we, by love, for love were made.
…………
We
come with self inflicted pains of broken trust and chosen wrong;
Half
free, half-bound by inner chains, by social forces swept along
By
powers and systems close confined; yet seeking hope for humankind……
Great
God, in Christ you call our name and then receive us as your own
Not
through some merit, right, or claim, but by your gracious love alone.
Great
God, in Christ you set us free, your life to live, your joy to share,
Give
us your Spirit’s
liberty to turn from built and dull despair,
And
offer all that faith can do while love is making all things new.
And
it struck me as we sang it that it described the journey of life that
Sr. Merle experienced. In midst of many forces - from the death of
her mother at birth to her service in the Second World War to her
choice to be formed as a disciple of Jesus through life in the
Sisterhood of St. John the Divine - Sr. Merle sought to live
faithfully relying on the love of God her creator.
We
all do this resting on the certainty of the promises we have heard in
scripture, particularly that in John 6. “Everything
the Father gives to me will come to me, and anyone who come to me I
will never drive away I will never turn away anyone who believes in
me….that
all who see the Son and believe in him may have eternal life.”
Sr.
Merle’s
early life - the death of her mother and subsequent shifts among
families - were painful - but developed an independence and
resiliency in her. Sr. Merle was a woman of strong opinions and not
shy about sharing them! Her life choices were those of serving
others - from military service as a young woman to her vocation as a
nurse in Montreal and at St. John’s
Convalescent Home. She was a woman of keen intelligence and
abilities as an Administrator and Manager, as a Head Nurse at
Montreal General Hospital for several units, as Assistant
Administrator at St. John’s
Convalescent Home and at the Home for the Aged and Cana Place.
I
met Sr. Merle in her later years in retirement and marvelled at her
constant interest in world affairs & history. She always knew
what was on the front page of the newspaper!
Many
have noted that although she often seemed serious she had a lovely
smile and sense of humour. She and I shared a common delight -
cats! Merle would light up with delight when discussing the
vagaries of cat behaviour - and, of course, Sandy was the best! -
despite my protestations that mine were. She would also light up
when talking about her friendship with the Sonnenburgs, especially
when the children came into their lives. She was so grateful to be
part of their family. Her latter years were challenging - the
residual effects of a case of shingles were frustrating and the
losses of aging were not suffered gladly though in recent months she
had demonstrated a reconciliation with her situation.
Merle
took what life offered and sought to live as a faithful Christian,
choosing to serve others and to serve God. She was, in my
experience a very private woman about discussing her faith and life.
I am not altogether sure what prompted her to come to SSJD - no
doubt God’s
call in all its mystery. Although private, she showed and lived it
through her choices - not perfectly….She
could on occasion be frustrating - but which of us is perfect.
So
today we come to celebrate her life and commit her into the keeping
of God her creator whose deep love and grace sustained her in the
midst of the circumstances and situations that shaped her. This is
a bittersweet moment. We do experience the grief of her loss from
our midst physically yet, in light of the promises of God, know that
she has been reunited with God and is home. We heard the
affirmations of those promises through the gospel of John - the
promise of eternal life. We heard it in 1 John in the passionate
witness of the author and in the beautiful passage of Isaiah that
paints a vision of the future banquet where death is swallowed up
forever and closing affirmation: “This
is the Lord for whom we have waited; Let us be glad and rejoice in
his salvation.”
Today
we thank God for the life of Sr. Merle and commit her into the hands
of her Creator, Redeemer and Sanctifier whose love guided her in the
choices of her life. That same God invites us to follow faithfully
through our lives. Thanks be to God.
|
Bishop Linda Nicholls was consecrated on February 2,
2008 and began her ministry as Area Bishop of Trent-Durham
on February 15, 2008 . |
|
|
Linda comes to Episcopal ministry with background as a teacher,
parish priest and national staff member. With
university degrees in music and education she taught secondary
school music and math for five years
at Woodstock International Christian School in Mussoorie , India before
exploring a call to ordained ministry. Her
theological education included studies at Ontario Theological
Seminary and Wycliffe College before she was
ordained deacon in November 1985 and priest in November 1986. A
curacy was served at St. Paul ’s L’Amoreaux
Church, Scarborough followed by her appointment as
incumbent of the Parish of Georgina (St. James’, Sutton and St.
George’s , Sibbald Point). The Parish of
Georgina has the unusual honour of having had three incumbents in
series who are all now bishops – Colin Johnson (Toronto),
Victoria Matthews (Christ Church, New Zealand) and Linda
Nicholls! |
|
|
|
In 1991 Linda became the incumbent
of the Parish of Holy Trinity, Thornhill where she served until
February 2005. During her parish ministries Linda
explored a variety of continuing education courses, including a
Certificate in Spiritual Direction, and completed a Doctor of
Ministry degree at the University ofToronto in
2002. Other interests in ministry include a
passion for community life, healing ministries and support of
Parish Nursing. From February 2005 to her consecration
Linda served in the national office of the Anglican Church of
Canada as the Coordinator for Dialogue for Ethics, Interfaith
Relations and Congregational Development.
In her ministry as a bishop Linda
serves on the Doctrine & Worship Committee of the Diocese;
Committee on Religious Orders of the National Church; and the
Faith Worship and Ministry Committee for the Anglican Church of
Canada. Linda was appointed in 2011 by the Archbishop
of Canterbury to the Anglican Roman Catholic International
Commission (ARCIC).
|
