Eulogy by Mario to honor his brother Santo’s memory

Reverend Father,
Nina, Josephine and Virgilio, Anthony and Denise, Nicholas and Serena, Sister Rosa and Joe, Sister-in-Laws Pina, Mae and Dolores, Relatives, Neighbors and Friends

“Precious in the eyes of the Lord is the death of his faithful ones.” Psalm 116

A Christian legend about St. Francis of Assisi places before us a powerful image of life. In the dead of winter, the Saint is calling out to a dormant cherry tree: “Speak to me of God,” and suddenly the cherry tree broke into a magnificent bloom and became alive.
This morning there is no better way of speaking to us of God than the life of my brother Santo, beloved husband, father, grandfather, relative, and friend.
Santo is our blooming cherry tree whose life and deeds come alive, even in the winter of death, to speak to us of God through the exemplary life that he always shared with us.
Though our hearts are aching, and tears stream down our cheeks, we gather in St. Margaret Church as a loving community of faith, to admire the miracle of Santo’s life, to smell the perfume of his goodness, to pray for his soul, to give thanks to the Lord for his presence in our lives, and to celebrate together, as people of hope, the mystery of life and death during this Mass of Christian Burial.
We gather today around the work of God’s creation, the cherry blossom of Santo’s life, this human tree whose flowers are still blooming even in the harsh winter of death, and continue to speak softly of kindness, patience, sincerity, gentleness, humility, love of family, high work ethics and faith in the Lord and the saints.
Santo lived and died with the sweet memory of having shared the gift of love with his family and neighbor through his goodness and easy-going way and genuine care, laughing and crying, living and dying. He fully accepted the mystery that is life, and followed the Lord’s will with patience and perseverance. A compassionate human being, he cried when we cried, and rejoiced when we rejoiced as we shared our triumphs and failures. At home and in the community Santo was truly the bright light of the lamp mentioned in the Gospel, which is “not lighted to be put away under a bushel, but that is placed on a lamp-stand to give light to all the people of the house.”
Santo’s life was a steady, bright light that, for over eighty years, lit many other candles with the gift of his presence, time, and unassuming love. Even today, in the silence of his death, he continues to light the candles of our lives with his spiritual presence: candles of faith, determination, honesty, perseverance and love of family that will brighten our hearts for many years to come, as we continue to travel on our earthly journey.
“ A candle does not lose anything by lighting another candle.” And Santo did light many candles along the way!
We will always remember and celebrate Santo’s life. For some of us, he was a rock of strength; for some, a patient listener and peacemaker; a doting grandfather to Nick and Serena; for many others, a man of many manual skills living among us. We shall remember him an immigrant coming to America with Nina and Josephine; adapting to American life, working in the garment industry and also in the NY City prisons; we will remember his love for gardening, planting flowers, vegetables and precious fig trees, and will never forget his annual wine making celebration with family and neighbors. Always quiet, unassuming, patient and hardworking, he passed through us doing good.
Personally, I will always cherish my brother Santo’s words of wisdom and his expressive hands that he moved, just like a blessing, every time I left his house as we waived good-bye.
Though distant in Texas, today I am present with Dolores to commemorate and celebrate with you my brother Santo’s life, this blossoming cherry tree that God planted in the garden of my life as one of five children. He watched over me when I was a young child, cared for me, and helped mom and dad with a large family.
Today, Santo’s passing reminds us of the spiritual reality that life is like living in a temporary tent and that, as the Psalm exclaims:
“… holy people will flourish like palm trees and will grow like the cedars of Lebanon because, in dying, they have been transplanted in the Lord’s own garden, and are under his personal care.”
My brother Santo’s human existence has not just ended, but has been transformed. The temporary earthly tent, spoken by St. Paul, has been finally taken down in the form of his physical existence, which is no longer; a physical existence, which kept him from being with the Lord. Death for us Christians is nothing but a moment, a second, a step. The step from the provisional to the permanent. From the temporal to the eternal because “it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.”
Beloved brother Santo, what a mysterious way for you to cross the veil of death, surrounded by us who love you best on this side of this physical world, and being received by those who also love you on the other side!
What a blessing for everyone! A ship is carrying you away from us, and we wave goodbye until you cross the horizon, and we can’t see you anymore. “There you go,” we say tearfully. But picture this. On the other side of the horizon are our mom and dad, our brothers Eddy and Joe, and all your friends who also love you as much as we do. They, too, are looking out to sea, when you suddenly appear on the horizon, and they wave tearfully because they have been waiting so long to see you, and they say: “Look, Santo is coming!” And God smiles for your joy.

Santo, beloved brother, you have run a good race, and we cheer you as you cross the finish line. May the Lord crown you with the perfect freedom of the children of God, forgive your sins, and grant you eternal peace in the place he has prepared for you who believed in his promise of eternal life. Santo, you are our precious cherry tree in bloom that this morning we are returning to the Lord to add more beauty to his heavenly kingdom.
We thank God for your life and good works, for your beautiful soul, for your love and sparkling light that shone brightly on us, “the people of the house.”
May Our Lady and the Angels of God accompany you to Paradise. May you rest in peace, our beloved blooming cherry tree, as you continue to speak to us of God, and encourage us to continue on our earthly journey! Pray for us until we meet again. Amen.
Mario Macaluso
Mass of Christian Burial
St. Margaret Catholic Church
January 30, 2015

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