Homily by Fr. Sergio Pellegrini, spiritual assistant of the Luisa Piccarreta Association, at the funeral Mass for Sister Assunta Marigliano - 12/30/2023
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“The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field.
“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it.
“Once again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was let down into the lake and caught all kinds of fish. When it was full, the fishermen pulled it up on the shore. Then they sat down and collected the good fish in baskets, but threw the bad away. This is how it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come and separate the wicked from the righteous and throw them into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
“Have you understood all these things?” Jesus asked.
“Yes,” they replied.
He said to them, “Therefore every teacher of the law who has become a disciple in the kingdom of heaven is like the owner of a house who brings out of his storeroom new treasures as well as old.” Matthew 13:44-52
We are here to raise a feeling of praise and thanksgiving to the Lord for Sister Assunta's life, amid sadness and joy; an elderly person, rich in years and experience has left for Heaven, but in our hearts we feel the loneliness of a path that we started, of a path in which the Lord had placed Sister Assunta as a guide, and with her departure we feel this sense of loneliness. However, the seed that Sister Assunta planted has borne much fruit; I think she also rejoices in seeing us together as a family, on the path of the Divine Will.
Today's Gospel tells us of three parables about the Kingdom of God: the hidden treasure, the precious pearl and the net. These parables are also the key to understanding Sister Assunta's life as well as the life of each of us in relation to a discovery that we have all made at some point in our lives.
Just now we listened to the autobiographical profile of Sister Assunta's life, and we can see how what happened to Sister Assunta also happened to each of us: at a certain point the Divine Will, the knowledge of the Kingdom imposed itself in our lives. We did not go looking for the Divine Will; we can say that it is the Divine Will that came looking for us. The question Jesus asks his disciples at the conclusion of the Gospel, "Have you understood all these things?" is significant.
Understanding is therefore very important in the writings on the Divine Will. It is not a science that studies, but it is a matter of understanding, that is, of intelligence, from the Latin word 'intelligere,' that is, to perceive what is in it, to grasp its meaning. It is extraordinary how before these pages of the Gospel, before the writings on the Divine Will, our hearts, our minds like flowers open to understanding. But beware: who explains, who makes me understand? It is the Risen Jesus who explains to me. The absolute protagonist is Jesus, He is the one who explains, giving us the means, through the intercession and help of people, but people are not Jesus. Hence our song of praise because through these people Jesus has opened our hearts; the greatest homage we can do to Sister. Assunta is to continue our journey, our study, continue our reading, do our acts in the Divine Will, from the smallest to the greatest. This is living in the Kingdom; this is what the Lord expects of us.
Referring back to the Gospel, Sister. Assunta was a religious person who sold a most precious asset, her membership in her Institute of Sisters. It is said that she would surely have become Mother General, but she left her institute, sold everything, and that brought all of us here.