The Mystery of a Brief Life: Funeral Homily for Ezekiel Michael David Donaire Higgins (July 25, 2025)
The following is a homily given at the funeral mass for Ezekiel Michael David Donaire Higgins on July 25, 2025 by Rev. (Raj) Arockiaraj Michael Pandi, Parochial Vicar of St. Mary, Our Lady of the Presentation, Catholic Church in Eugene, Oregon. You can read about the life of St. Ezekiel here.
Fr. Raj's homily begins at 24:30 in the above video.
Introduction
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, we are gathered here today not merely in grief, but in sacred reverence. We come to honor the life of Ezekiel Michael David Donaire Higgins, a child who was born, baptized, confirmed, and returned to God's embrace all within the span of three precious hours on July 16, 2025. Three hours. And yet, eternity was planted in those moments. This Liturgy is not for a life unlived. It is for a life fulfilled in grace. It is a reminder that God's love is not bound by time, and that some lives, though brief, shine with eternal meaning.
A Life Marked by the Sacraments
Ezekiel was not only born into the world he was born into the Church. Through Baptism, he became a child of God. Through Confirmation, he was sealed with the Holy Spirit. The Church, in her ancient wisdom, proclaims that the soul who recieves these sacraments is fully marked with Christ's identity and destined for His glory. The Catechism reminds us: "The grace of Baptism does not depend on human merit but on the infinite mercy of God." (CCC 1257). Though he had no time to speak, Ezekiel proclaimed with his whole being: I am God's. I belong to Christ. And that, dear friends, is the greatest truth any soul can ever live.
Measuring Life by Love, Not Length
In this world, we measure life in milestones, birthdays, graduations, years lived. But God measures life in grace and love. And so we must listen to a higher truth. The great author Leo Tolstoy once wrote: "The meaning of life is to serve something greater than ourselves. And even in a single moment, we may fulfill the highest calling." Ezekiel fulfilled his call. He lived as a sign of God's creative love, he was received into the Church, and he returned to the Father without stain or sin. His soul is now part of the heavenly choir, a voice in the eternal hymn of love.
What His Name Tells Us
Let us reflect briefly on the beautiful name you gave him, a name full of biblical power:
- Ezekiel — "God's Strength" — a prophet of hope and restoration, even in desolation.
- Michael — "Who is like God" — the name of the Archangel, a protector and warrior of heaven.
- David — "Beloved" — the shepherd-king, a man after God's own heart. These are not merely names. They are truths. They tell us who Ezekiel was and is: A soul strengthened by God, beloved in the heart of God, and now resting among the angels and saints.
Consolation in Christ's Victory
To you, dear parents and family: your grief is sacred. You held Ezekiel in your arms and gave him the most precious gift: a welcome into this world, the sacraments of faith, and unconditional love. This is a suffering only love can carry. But take heart because love is stronger than death. As Jesus said, "Let the little children come to Me, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these." (Matthew 19:14). Your child is not lost. He is found in the heart of Christ. And as the ancient poet Rabindranath Tagore wrote: "The butterfly counts not months but moments, and still has time enough." Ezekiel's life, though short in time, is timeless in God.
Life Lessons from the Littlest Soul
What can we learn from a child who lived just a few hours? Everything. That life is sacred from the first breath. That faith is a gift, not an achievement. That God's mercy is greater than our understanding. That even the smallest soul can reflect the grandeur of heaven. As Saint John Paul II said: "Every child, even if not yet born, is entrusted to us by God and must be protected, respected, and loved." Ezekiel reminds us to cherish life, to live in grace, and to hold one another with reverence.
Conclusion: A Child of Heaven, A Light in Our Hearts
Today we commend Ezekiel Michael David to the Lord, not as one we have lost, but as one we have given back. He was never ours alone. He was Hod's from the beginning. Though he will not walk through this world, he walks now in the gardens of Paradise. He is a saint in glory, a light above us, a prayer beside us. Let us go forth from this place with tears in our eyes, yes, but also with peace in our hearts, knowing that love, once given, is never wasted. It is transformed into eternity.