What a difference a year makes. A year ago, almost to the day, I spent a weekend in Belize City with Father Laz. At the time he was covering for Father Kurt Kaseberer at Saint Joseph Parish, while Father Kurt was out of the country visiting his relatives in Germany. I remember he picked me up at the Airstrip in Belize City, and right afterwards we drove to Benque to meet with the late Deacon Don Kostecki, whom he was preparing for ordination to the diaconate. He and I spent about three hours at the home of the Kostecki family preparing Deacon Don that day. After that, we drove to the home a former parishioner of his, also in Benque, who was having a crisis in her life, and so he went to her home to minister to her. After leaving there we drove to San Ignacio and again visited yet another former parishioner who was experiencing some personal difficulties and needed Fr. Laz' counsel. Again, Fr. Laz provided that pastoral counseling. After that we drove to Belmopan, and again we stopped off at the home of another former parishioner who needed his ministry, and again, he provided that ministry. We left Belmopan for Belize City late that evening and upon our arrival at Saint Joseph's parish, we were met by eight couples who had been there waiting for us. They had come for a Baptismal Preparation Class. Apparently, Father Kurt had told Fr. Laz about this Baptismal Preparation Class, but somehow he had forgotten. So he asked if I would do the Baptismal Preparation class for him because he had to go back to his office to finish some work. He got back right about the time I was finishing up the class, and so we went upstairs. We did our Night Prayers, and then I went to bed. He, on the other hand, stayed up for awhile to prepare is homily for Mass the next day.

The next day Saturday, Fr. Laz woke me up at around 5:30 that morning, a little early for me for a Saturday morning, and told me that Mass was at 6:00 A.M. So I got up, we did our morning prayers, and then went down for Mass. After he celebrated the Mass that morning we went back to the Rectory. He said to me, "Deacon get ready, we are going to Orange Walk." And so I said to him, "Fr. Laz, aren't we going to have breakfast first?" He looked at me, and said, 'Oh, there is hot water in the thermos, and coffee and sugar are on the table." When we got to Orange Walk that morning, by then I was very hungry, and so I said to him, "Fr. Laz, aren't we going to stop off somewhere and get something to eat? He said, don't worry Deacon, we'll turn off soon and go to Yo Creek, and one of the families there will feed us. And sure enough, one of the families there fed us when we got there.

You see, Fr. Laz had gone to Yo Creek to do a Marriage Preparation class for a couple whose marriage he was witnessing two weeks later. After dinner, we moved into the family's living Room, and Fr. Laz said to me, "Deacon, you're married, why don't you share with them what a successful marriage is all about.” And so I shared with them that morning. After that, we drove to one of the villages in Orange Walk, I believe it was San Jose, where Fr. Laz had been invited to officiate at a Quince Anos. After that we stopped off at the Rectory in Orange Walk, and then drove back to Belize City. When we got to Belize City, Fr. Laz asked if I wanted to be dropped off at the Saint Joseph's Rectory or if I wanted to accompany him to his office where he needed to finish off some work. I said to him, drop me off at the Rectory. I don't know what time he came in that evening, for I was already asleep.

The next morning Sunday, again, he woke me up at 5:30 A.M. We did our Morning Prayers, and went down for Sunday Mass. After Mass we went back to the Rectory and yes, you guessed it, we had coffee for breakfast. Then we rushed to Saint John Vianney for Sunday Mass. He had asked me to preach that morning at Saint John Vianney, but then he said to me, "Deacon, don't preach too long because I'll have to rush back to Saint Joseph's to celebrate the 11:00 A.M. Mass, and then do Baptisms afterwards. In the meantime, he had scheduled a Baptism at Saint Vianney for after Mass as well, so he asked if I would do the Baptism for him at Saint John Vianney. We agreed to meet up again at the Rectory around 1:00 P.M. We did; in fact, Mr. Clement Wade, was the one who gave me a ride there. Upon my arrival, Fr. Laz said to me, "Deacon, I'm going back to Orange Walk to help Fr. Leo celebrate Mass at two villages there. Are you coming? By now he must have sensed that I was getting tired, so I said, "NO, I'm going back to Dangriga." So he dropped me off at the airstrip. I flew back to Dangriga, and he drove back to Orange Walk.

I tell this story only to illustrate to you the kind of priest Fr. Laz was. He was a dedicated Pastor. He was an understanding counselor. He was a hard working servant of God. I suppose all of you know that. I suppose also that all of us are here today because in some way he touched our lives. All of us are here because he influenced our lives in ways that perhaps no one had ever done before. That weekend I spent with Fr. Laz a year ago showed me just how much he cared for God’s people. That weekend that I spent with Fr. Laz a year ago, show me how dedicated he was to his priesthood and to his ministry. That weekend I spent a year ago with this fine Priest, has made me a better minister. What I learned that weekend from Fr. Laz, is far more meaningful to me today than anything I ever learned during my four years of deacon formation. What Fr. Laz taught me that weekend was humility, dedication, unselfishness, unconditional love, and caring for God’s people. Fr. Laz has a brother who lives in San Ignacio. He also has a brother who lives in Belmopan. But, that day I spent with him out west, not once, not once, did he even considered stopping in to visit them much less to minister to them. You see, he was most interested in serving and ministering to others than to his own flesh and blood.

My Pastor in Yuma, Arizona, where I live, celebrates one Mass – one Mass - on a given weekend. That weekend I spent with Fr. Laz he celebrated six Masses. When I told my pastor about the weekend I spent with Fr. Laz, he said, “I want to meet this guy.” So last November, my parish invited Fr. Laz to come to Yuma, Arizona. While there he celebrated Mass for us, and my parishioners fell in love with him the very moment they met him. Needless to say, he was a big hit.

So, if Fr. Laz was such a big hit. If Fr. Laz was such a good, dedicated and caring priest. If Fr. Laz was doing so much good here in Belize, then why did God choose to take him at such a young age. We need only to look at our second reading that Hon. Sylvia Flores read so eloquently from the First Letter of Saint Paul to the Corinthians, to give us some answers. Paul reminds us that each of us must die in our proper order, in order to live forever with Christ. Fr. Laz’ proper order came last Saturday evening when our Lord called him home.

Many of us have tried to make some sense out of this quick and early passing of Fr. Laz, and it seems as though no matter how much we try, we keep coming up empty. But the only way that we can begin to make sense out of this, and find some sense of peace, is to put our trust in Christ - the Christ who came among us – the Christ who conquered death by dying on the cross - the Christ that has gone on before us to prepare a place for us. "In my father's house,” our Lord tells us in today's Gospel, "there are many dwelling places, otherwise, how could I have told you that I was going to prepare a place for you." Last Saturday evening at around 10:30 P.M., our Lord prepared a place for Fr. Laz.

Fr. Laz died the way he lived - not being afraid. Our opening hymn today, "Be Not Afraid," is a great tribute to the life that Fr. Laz lived. He heeded the call of our late Holy Father, the Great John Paul II, who began his pontificate by telling us, the faithful,” Be Not Afraid." So Fr. Laz was not afraid. He was not afraid to preach the Gospel message of Christ - even if that message offended others. He was not afraid to preach the Gospel message of Christ, even if that message went in one ear and came out through the other. He was not afraid to stand up against social injustice. He was not afraid to speak out against abortion, and other immoral issues of our day. He was not afraid to stand up in defense of the church he loved so much, and the church to which he had been ordained to serve. And when the end came for him, he was not afraid to die.

I saw Fr. Laz a week before he died in Guatemala City. His brothers, Fausto and Policarpio and I had gone to visit him. We could tell that he was weak, frail, and in a lot of pain, yet he tried to be jovial and entertaining. That Saturday, we prayed with him, and as much as he wanted to participate in these prayers, he found it very difficult to do so. That Sunday morning his brothers and I went to Mass, and so I was able to bring him Holy Communion. He was most happy to receive our Lord, and said that it had been weeks since he had received our Lord in Holy Communion.

So while Fr. Laz' death has saddened us all, our Lord bids us to believe those majestic words of his in the Gospel of Saint John, "I am the Resurrection and the Life. If anyone believes in me, even though he be dead, will live, and anyone who lives and believes in me will never die."

These words are intended to help us "Let Go." But letting go is very hard. Our Lord's Apostles did not want to let go of him, but Christ told them that if they did not let go of him that he could not go to the father to prepare a place for them. Mary Magdalene wanted to cling to the risen Christ, but she too had to let him go.

So while all of us want to cling to Fr. Laz, we too must also "Let Go." Our Lord bids us to Let Go, and Give Thanks. Let us therefore give thanks for his live. Let us give thanks for his youth. But most importantly, let us give thanks for the joy he brought into our lives.

May God Bless Father Laz and have mercy on his soul, and may God bless all of us who mourn his death.


ETERNAL REST GRANT UNTO FATHER LAZ O LORD AND LET PERPETUAL LIGHT SHINE UPON HIM. MAY HE REST IN PEACE. AMEN

AND MAY HIS SOUL AND THE SOULS OF THE FAITHFUL DEPARTED, THROUGH THE MERCY OF GOD REST IN PEACE, AMEN