We lost a friend this past week in a
tragic accident and I am once again reminded how precious and fleeting life is.
I can't even wrap my mind around Jean Revil's death. She was one of the holiest and most selfless people I have ever met. She was a coworker and a friend and we had just seen her twice in the past few weeks and sat and talked awhile with her and gave her a hug, as she always greeted us. She was a devoted and faithful woman who visited prisoners, taught theology, was a campus minister, an oblate of St. Benedict, led adult faith formation, and so much more.
She consoled and counseled so many people in all of her different lines of work and volunteerism. She formed teenagers and adults to grow in the faith. She always led by example. Years ago, she went through a terrible trial and while I was holding my baby and expressing to her how sorry I was and how unfair it was that she had to go through it...she told me that she was "Glad it was her, and not someone with a spouse or children". Even suffering through her worst days, she still thought of others and carried her cross courageously while giving thanks it wasn't their cross.
I went to a funeral mass this past year for a woman I didn't know, but who was a friend of the priest saying her funeral mass. The priest told me that this woman who died wouldn't have many people in attendance at her funeral as she was older and without children, so I wanted to show up for her. Guess who also was in attendance at that funeral mass? Yup, Jean. We hugged each other after that mass and commented on the beautiful homily. I told her that I wanted that priest to give the homily at my funeral mass, and she said "Same! I just told him that!" Sadly that priest is on an assignment far away, but at Jean's funeral mass yesterday, there were fifteen priests and four deacons. I couldn't keep it together watching them all walk out to offer Mass for this most special woman.
The priest who gave her homily was a former teacher and colleague of Jean, and he did a wonderful job at portraying Jean to the fullest. He said Jean had come to daily Mass on the day she died, as she always did, but dressed up a little more than usual that day, as if she was ready for something special. He also said that even though her death was the result of a tragic accident, if the angel Gabriel would have appeared to her the day before and warned her what was going to happen the next day, Jean still would have gone to volunteer. That part is so true and helped bring peace to a lot of us, and there were a lot of us in the full church.
Jean literally died in the act of volunteering which is just so apropos to describe the type of person she was. Her last breath was spent serving others. As the priest said in his homily, Jean was caught in the act of doing good work. As employees might try to look busy when their boss walks in, Jean didn't have to pretend to be doing good works when she met Our Lord. She was constantly doing good work, living the gospel and was an awesome example of a consecrated single vocation. Jean would ask herself when making a decision; "Will this be good for my soul?" And if it would be, she would do it.
Rest in eternal peace, Jean. I know I can't canonize saints but if there was ever a person I believe went straight to heaven, it's definitely you. I promise to pray for your soul just in case, but please pray for us all too.
