Location: Mission San Jose
Pope Francis has said: “All of history is kept in the memory of the Lord. Memory is safekeeping. He is its compassionate and merciful judge. The Lord is close to us as judge; he is close, compassionate and merciful. These are the three attitudes of the Lord.”
We have come together today to commend our brother in Christ, Father James Galvin, to the eternal embrace of God. He was a servant of the altar, a shepherd of souls, and a man who gave his life to the proclamation of the Gospel. His passing leaves a void in our hearts, but our faith and our hope assure us that the Lord has conquered sin and death.
The book of Wisdom tells us: “The souls of the just are in the hand of God, and no torment shall touch them.” Father Jim spent his life trusting in that truth. His journey of faith, like gold tested in the furnace, was not without its challenges.
Yet, his hope was full of immortality, and his life was a testament to the grace and mercy of God. We pray together, for him to be now welcomed as a sacrificial offering, perfected by years of faithful service – united to Jesus on the Cross.
Saint Paul’s words to the Corinthians speak powerfully to us in our grief. Though our “outer self is wasting away,” our “inner self is being renewed day by day.” Father Jim experienced this daily renewal through the celebration of the Eucharist. Each time he celebrated the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, he drew closer to the eternal mantle of glory that now – we pray – rests upon him. We proclaim our hope, that his earthly dwelling – this fragile tent – has been exchanged for a dwelling made by God – a home eternal in the heavens.
Finally, in the Gospel, Jesus promises that “whoever eats this bread will live forever.”
As a priest, Father Jim devoted his life to the Eucharist, feeding God’s people with the Bread of Life. He not only preached the promise of eternal life but lived it, grounded in the truth that Christ’s flesh and blood sustain us on our journey toward eternity. We pray that he now feasts at the heavenly banquet, sharing fully in the life of the risen Lord.
Let us take comfort in the hope that Father Jim remains with us in the communion of saints. His life inspires us to persevere in faith, to embrace the Bread of Life, and to fix our eyes on what is unseen yet eternal. May we follow his example, trusting in the God who calls each of us to share in His glory.
Eternal rest grant unto him, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon him. May Our Lady of Guadalupe embrace Father Jim and lead him to the ultimate encounter with God.
