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Closing
Mass Editors Note: Before his homily Archbishop Beltran introduced the Rother Family that was in attendance. He asked them all to stand to be recognized. He also asked to Tribunal, the men and women who were appointed to do the work required for the canonization cause, to stand and be recognized. My dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ: Every Sunday morning the Word of God is presented to us especially in the proclamation of the Gospel. How truly fulfilling is God’s Word for those who contemplate it and keep it. While we are all blessed to receive God’s Word, it seems that children who live on farms have a special edge on the rest of us. So many of Jesus’ stories and teachings speak of animals, plants and farming experiences. Young Stanley Francis Rother heard Jesus say: “Unless the grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains just a grain of wheat; but if it dies, it produces much fruit.” These words would have given him much to think about, much to contemplate. As he sat on the tractor preparing the ground for planting, as he walked across the fields that were beginning to sprout life and he saw the golden grains of the ripening wheat, he must have asked himself those basic human questions – Who am I? Why am I here? How do I fit into the plan of God? Certainly he contemplated God’s Word and followed it, “the harvest is great but the laborers are few,” and above all, he responded to the invitation of Jesus Who said: “Come, follow Me.” The Servant of God Father Stanley Rother was ordained a priest for the Diocese of Oklahoma City-Tulsa. He served at various assignments in Oklahoma prior to his appointment as a missionary to the parish of Santiago Atitlan in the Diocese of Solola in Guatemala. There he served faithfully and zealously, bringing the Good News of Jesus to the poor in a simple but powerful manner. Totally dedicated to God and to his people, Father Rother preached the Gospel with love and conviction. It was this faithful teaching and living the Word of God which made him a target of hatred and evil. On July 28, 1981, he was brutally martyred in the parish house. And the Scripture he heard since childhood was fulfilled: “Unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains just a grain of wheat; but if it dies, it produces much fruit.” We here in Oklahoma and the people of Santiago Atitlan in Guatemala are the recipients of many blessings from the life and death of the Servant of God Father Stanley Rother. From the moment of his death until now, there has been a spontaneous outpouring of prayer and devotion. We believe and we are convinced that Father Rother was martyred and is now a saint in heaven. Thus we have prayed and will continue to pray that if it is God’s Will, Father Rother will be acknowledged and proclaimed by the universal Church as martyr and saint. The Catechism of the Catholic Church defines “canonization” as: The solemn declaration by the Pope that a deceased member of the faithful may be proposed as a model and intercessor to the Christian faithful and venerated as a saint on the basis of the fact that the person lived a life of heroic virtue or remained faithful to God through martyrdom. Several years ago, I obtained the permission of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints to begin the process of canonization for Father Stanley Rother. I also received the encouragement and approval of the Bishops of Region X and the Guatemala Conference of Bishops. I engaged a canon lawyer in Rome, Dr. Andrea Ambrosi, to serve as our Postulator. I constituted a Tribunal, appointing sixteen faithful men and women to serve. For the past thirty-three months, this Tribunal has worked tirelessly to prepare the necessary documents for the Holy See. In the past week, this Tribunal has labored late into the evening and throughout the weekend. In addition, a number of other faithful people joined the Tribunal members to complete the requirements for tonight’s ceremony of the closure of the Archdiocesan phase of the cause for canonization of the Servant of God Reverend Stanley Francis Rother. I am extremely grateful to all who participated and worked so hard to accomplish this great work. I am inspired by you for as some of you, tired though you are, repeatedly stated: “This is a labor of love.” Yes, this is a labor of love! What an appropriate way to describe the efforts for canonization. Truly an exact way to explain the value, purpose and goal of all human life. We have been created in the Image and Likeness of God. God made us out of love. He made us in such a fashion that we are able to receive His love and to love Him in return. God’s plan for human beings is to come to know, love and serve Him on this earth so that someday we can live and rejoice with Him forever in heaven. In other words, God made us to be pilgrims now and eventually saints in heaven. This is the reason every human being is created, to become a saint of God. This is why you and I live in the world today and hope to live in heaven with God forever. In the course of salvation history, God has given us examples to follow. There have been outstanding men and women of every age who were good, holy, faithful and happy people. Knowledge of their lives is not only informational, it is also inspirational. Such good lives often challenge us to repent, to change our way of life and to follow Jesus more closely. In the church the stories of good and holy people were passed down from generation to generation. Eventually the Church designed a process for canonization. In that way, our Holy Father is able to proclaim authoritatively one who is a saint. Thus the Church acknowledges new saints and gives us other models to follow on our pilgrimage of faith. When the Servant of God, Father Stanley Rother, was brutally attacked, beaten and shot dead, the natives of Santiago Atitlan and the Catholic people of Oklahoma were shocked and saddened. But immediately the Tzutihil people enshrined his heart in the parish church because they believed Father Rother was a holy man. They believed he was a saint with God who would now be their intercessor. Here in Oklahoma over the next few days, we too shared the same sentiments. From that time on, people began to pray and popular devotion arose. In Okarche, Holy Trinity Church and cemetery have become pilgrim stops for people from Oklahoma and beyond. In Santiago Atitlan, Father Rother’s heart was moved to a more accessible area in the church as the crowds of people continue to increase. More and more people are praying now that the canonization of Father Rother will advance in the Congregation for Saints and he will be proclaimed a saint by the universal Church. The Archdiocesan phase of this canonization procedure is brought to a close today here at Our Lady’s Cathedral. But the life and death story of the Servant of God, Father Stanley Francis Rother, must remain one of our incentives as we continue our pilgrimage of faith. Like Father Rother, we believe in Jesus and all that He has revealed to us. We believe that Jesus is the Way, the Truth and the Life. He is Lord and Savior. Like Father Rother, we share in the life of Jesus by receiving His Body and Blood in the Holy Eucharist. “Take My Flesh and eat It. Take My Blood and drink It, “ Jesus said, “and you shall have life everlasting.” Then and only then will our life be complete for we shall be with God together with all His saints and angels. Praise be Jesus forever! Most
Reverend Eusebius J. Beltran |