A Memorial Address by the Rev.
James P.
Cooper
Toronto
– July 23, 2009
Throughout
His earthly ministry, the Lord spoke
many parables about the kingdom of heaven. He likened it to a vineyard,
to a
harvest, and to a wedding feast. He tried very hard to tell the people
who came
to hear His preaching that there was nothing to fear in death, for it
was only
a step into new life.
The Lord
allowed His physical body to die so
that He could rise again on Easter morning and show that He had power
over
death itself. He allowed all these things to happen to Him so that He
could
literally go and prepare a place in heaven for each of us, a place that
we can
earn if only we have the courage to follow Him.
Reflect for a
moment about our usage in common
language. When we speak about death, we immediately speak about new
life. We
say, “The king is dead. Long live the king” indicating that
although we mourn
the end of one era, the death of the king is also the start of the new
one. In
schools and universities the ceremony where diplomas and degrees are
handed out
is called “commencement” because it at once signifies the
end of school and the
beginning of the next stage of life. We are told in the doctrines of
the New
Church that whenever anyone is reading in the Word about the death of a
person
in the story, the angels who are present with the reader are not
saddened by
the death, but instead celebrate because to them it means that someone
is about
to be resurrected into eternal life! We should learn from this that
since the
end of one state is always the beginning of the next, we must look past
the
death of the body to the release of the spirit and resurrection that is
the
result! (See AC 3492)
The physical
body was created by God to be the
home of the spirit while it sojourns in the world of nature. We become
quite
fond of our bodies, and the bodies of our friends because we cannot see
the
spirit within. We think the body is the person that we love.
But the
spirit can only remain in the body while it functions correctly, while
the
heart and lungs are able to perform their uses. This is because the
heart
corresponds to the will part of a person’s mind, while the lungs
correspond to
the understanding part. Just as a person cannot be considered human
without both
a will and an understanding, so the body cannot function as the home of
the
spirit without both heart and lungs.
When, due to
old age or disease, the heart,
lungs, and other organs begin to fail, the spirit is gradually
withdrawn. The
person whom we love slips away into a deep and peaceful sleep while
angels,
especially sent by the Lord, draw near to them to keep them in lovely
thoughts
about the life after death. The spirit takes about three days to be
withdrawn
fully from the body, and it is then the delightful duty of the angels
to awaken
the person into new spiritual life. This is done ever so gently, and
with the
most tender care for the feelings and needs of the new spirit. Although
it
seems frightening to those of us who have not been through the
experience, we
must remember that we were specifically created to live to eternity in
heaven.
The God who would plan heaven for us would surely make the transition
into that
life as easy and gentle as possible. I
go to prepare a place for you (text), He said.
In the work
“Heavenly Secrets” (Arcana Coelestia), we
discover that our
new spiritual home is safe and comfortable, specifically designed by a
loving
God to be our new home. We read,
“…as soon as a person dies he is in the
other life, and lives as a spirit among spirits, and that he then
appears to
himself and to others in that life in all respects like a person in the
world,
endowed with every sense internal and external … consequently
the death of the
body is only the casting off of such things as had served for use and
service
in the world; and moreover death itself is a continuation of life, but
in
another world, which is invisible to the eyes of the earthly
body” (AC 8939:2).
Rose Raymond
had a profound faith in the Lord
and in His promise that life is eternal. She felt the reality of the
spiritual
world, and the Lord’s near presence with her, and in many
different ways she
tried to let Him guide her life.
Rose was Born
October 30, 1911 on a farm north
of Winnipeg. She was the 2nd of the 11 children. When she was 13 she
left the
farm to move to Winnipeg where she got a job as a cook and was able to
support
herself and send money back to the family. Later, she moved to Timmons,
Ontario
where she met her future husband, Hubert Raymond.
They were
married here in Toronto on July 15,
1941 (which means that she passed away just 1 day after what would have
been
her 68th wedding anniversary). Rose and Hubert returned to Timmons
after they
were married, and that’s where Doug was born.
In 1943 they
moved to Toronto where Frank was
born.
During World
War II Hubert attempted to enlist
in the army, but his skills as a machinist were such that it was felt
that he
could make a greater contribution to the war effort through his work
and so he
remained in Toronto.
Rose was a
stay-at-home mother while the boys
were young, but once they got into their teens Rose went into training
and
became a Practical Nurse. She travelled to various people’s homes
to visit
people who were sick or elderly and took care of them. She would dig in
and do
whatever needed to be done. She was also active in Olivet Church,
taking part
in the activities of the Ladies groups, and volunteering in various
ways,
always seeking out things that needed to be done.
The type of
work that she did, and the genuine
humbleness of spirit with which she did it reveal the strength of her
character, and her belief in the Lord’s clear teaching that when
we take care
of each other, we are doing His work and at the same time preparing
ourselves
for a life of eternal usefulness in heaven. In speaking with her, the
strength
of her faith in the reality of the spiritual world and the profound
confidence
in the close presence of the Lord in her life quickly became apparent.
But now that
chapter in her life is over, and we
can find comfort in knowing that as time passes in the spiritual world,
the
physical limitations fall away and the true, healthy, beautiful spirit
begins
to emerge. We read,
“In heaven those who are moved by mutual
love are constantly approaching the springtime of their youth. And the
more
thousands of years they live, the more joyful and happy the springtime
which
they are approaching. This process continues for ever, constantly
bringing
increases in joy and happiness in proportion to the advance and upward
progress
in mutual love, charity, and faith. Those of the feminine sex who had
died worn
out with age but who had lived in faith in the Lord, in charity towards
the
neighbour, and in happy conjugial love with their husbands, as the
years pass
by come more and more into the first freshness of youth and early
womanhood,
and into a beauty that excels every idea of beauty which the eye can
possibly
behold” (AC 553).
We lose
nothing of our essential personality by
the death of the physical body, and that includes our memories and our
curiosity. New spirits seek out their friends and associates from the
life of
the body and meet and talk together as long as they wish. And of
course, the
meeting of husbands and wives, parents and children, brothers and
sisters are
most joyous. Even as we meet here today to remember her, Rose is
awakening into
spiritual life in the company of angels. Soon she will be reunited with
her
husband Hubert and others whom she loved and who have gone on before.
(See HH
427)
And even more
wonderful than that, under the
Lord’s care and guidance, she will be instructed and prepared for
her life in
heaven. During the time of preparation those things that are not a part
of her
essential character will be carefully and gently removed to bother and
tempt
her no more. Her misunderstandings and misconceptions will be lovingly
corrected, and she will receive new truths with joy. As her spirit is
released
from the encumbrances of her worldly life, she will begin to change in
her
appearance as her spiritual body changes to reflect the changes made in
her
mind and heart; she will gradually appear younger and younger until she
will be
seen in the flower of adulthood, yet with the light of her considerable
wisdom
shining from her face.
We will miss
Rose because we love her, and she
brought something special and wonderful into our lives. We will feel
our
separation from her as sadness, but we should not feel sorry for her.
Her body
was worn out from a long battle with failing health, and she has now
found
blessed release from her pain, she fought the good fight, and now
deserves her
rest. We wish her peace, and look forward to the day when we shall meet
again
on the other side.
In thinking
of her today, we remember the
Lord’s words in the gospel of Luke, Do
not fear, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to
give you the
kingdom. (LUK 12;32) Amen.
In thee, O
LORD, do I put my trust: let me never
be put to confusion. Deliver me in thy righteousness, and cause me to
escape:
incline thine ear unto me, and save me. Be thou my strong habitation,
whereunto
I may continually resort: thou hast given commandment to save me; for
thou art
my rock and my fortress....
Cast me not
off in the time of old age; forsake
me not when my strength faileth. For mine enemies speak against me; and
they
that lay wait for my soul take counsel together, Saying, God hath
forsaken him:
persecute and take him; for there is none to deliver him.
O God, be not
far from me: O my God, make haste
for my help. Let them be confounded and consumed that are adversaries
to my
soul; let them be covered with reproach and dishonour that seek my
hurt. But I
will hope continually, and will yet praise thee more and more. My mouth
shall shew
forth thy righteousness and thy salvation all the day; for I know not
the
numbers thereof. I will go in the strength of the Lord GOD: I will make
mention
of thy righteousness, even of thine only.
O God, thou
hast taught me from my youth: and
hitherto have I declared thy wondrous works. Now also when I am old and
greyheaded,
O God, forsake me not; until I have shewed thy strength unto this
generation,
and thy power to every one that is to come.
Thy
righteousness also, O God, is very high, who
hast done great things: O God, who is like unto thee! Thou, which hast
shewed
me great and sore troubles, shalt quicken me again, and shalt bring me
up again
from the depths of the earth. Thou shalt increase my greatness, and
comfort me
on every side.
I will also
praise thee with the psaltery, even
thy truth, O my God: unto thee will I sing with the harp, O thou Holy
One of
Israel. My lips shall greatly rejoice when I sing unto thee; and my
soul, which
thou hast redeemed. My tongue also shall talk of thy righteousness all
the day
long: for they are confounded, for they are brought unto shame, that
seek my
hurt.
The LORD is
my shepherd; I shall not want. He
maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still
waters.
He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for
his
name’s sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow
of death, I
will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they
comfort me.
Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou
anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. Surely goodness and
mercy
shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house
of the
LORD for ever.
(John 14) “Let
not
your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me.
{2} “In
My Father’s house are many mansions; if
it were not so, I would have told
you. I go to prepare a place for you. {3} “And
if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you
to Myself;
that where I am, there you may be
also. {4} “And
where I go you know, and the way you know.” {5} Thomas said
to
Him, “Lord, we do not know where You are going, and how can we
know the way?” {6} Jesus said to him, “I
am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father
except through Me.
{7} “If
you had known Me, you would have
known My Father also; and from now on you know Him and have seen
Him.” {8} Philip said
to
Him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is sufficient for
us.” {9} Jesus said to him, “Have
I been with you so long, and yet you have not known Me,
Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father.
{21}
“He
who has My commandments and keeps them, it is
he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I
will
love him and manifest Myself to him.”
{22} Judas (not
Iscariot) said to Him, “Lord, how is
it that You will manifest Yourself to us, and not to the world?” {23} Jesus answered and said to him, “If
anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him,
and We will come to him and make Our home with him.
{27}
“Peace
I leave with you, My peace I give to you;
not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be
troubled,
neither let it be afraid.
“Human
life, from infancy to old age, is nothing else than a progression from
the
world to heaven; and the last age, which is death, is the transition
itself.”
(AC 3016)
[5] People after death - who are then called spirits or, if they have led good lives, angels - are utterly amazed at what [some members] of the Church believes about [themselves]. For he believes that he will not see eternal life until the last day when the world is destroyed, and that at that time he will be reclothed with the dust that has been cast away; when yet [ most believe that they rise] again after death. For who does not say, when someone dies, that his soul or spirit is in heaven, or in hell? Who does not say about his young children who have died that they are in heaven? Who does not comfort a person who is [incurably] sick or one who is condemned to death by saying that shortly he will enter the next life? And one who is in the throes of death and has been prepared for it does not believe anything different.... Is anyone unacquainted with what the Lord said to the robber, ‘Today you will be with Me in paradise’ (Luke 23:43), or with what the Lord said about the rich man and Lazarus, that the former was carried off into hell, whereas the latter was taken by the angels into heaven (Luke 16:22, 23)? Or is anyone unacquainted with what the Lord taught about the resurrection when He said that God is not the God of the dead but of the living (Luke 20:38) (AC 5078:5)?