Arngnirut 32-ngani Aivviqtuutini

Pivalliajut inuusiup iluani, qanuq inuusiq asanniniqarpalaurmat. Inuusiq, taanna takujariaqarpugut, taanna ataniup tunijanga. Qiviartariaqarpugut silami, qanuq inuusiq takujariaqarpugut. Paulusa titiraqtuq 3 John-mi, uqaqtuq: 'Beloved, you are faithful in all you do for the brothers and sisters, especially for strangers.' Taanna uqausiq, 'faithful,' qanuippa? Taanna uqausiq takujariaqarpugut inuusiup iluani, qanuq Benjamin asanniniqarpalaurmat. Benjamin, taanna qaujimajavut, taanna qaujimajavut tallimat pivalliajut, nuannaartuq, qajangnartuq, pinniqtuq. Taanna nalligivikluq, nalligikpatiklu qitiqquqsimajuq. Ilisimaliqput inuusiup iluani, qanuq Benjamin asanniniqarpalaurmat, qanuq ataniq asannininga kikkutuinnarnut tunijaupalaurmat. Taimanna atautikkut, qaujimajavut qanugitilluta. Benjamin, taanna 'con chim airlines'-mik uqalaurmat, quviasulluni. Taanna qajuqtuq inuusiup iluani, ataniup asannininga ilisimallugu. Ilisimaliqput taanna asanniniq, kikkut nalligijavut aniguqtilaaqtut.

Alan and Thao, I know the weight of these past five months. I know the way the world can seem to lose its color when you are carrying such a heavy cross. But look at the Gospel, look at the way Jesus speaks of the Kingdom: 'The coming of the Kingdom of God cannot be observed... For behold, the Kingdom of God is among you.' The Kingdom is not something you chase down the road; it is the presence of love that remains even when the body is gone. Benjamin is there, resting in the light, smiling that gentle, brilliant smile. He is not lost; he is found in the heart of the Father. Ryan, my dear brother, your brother Ben loved you. He was your partner. When you look at the sky, when you see a plane soaring high, remember that Ben's spirit is soaring too. He is free, he is full of light, and he is watching over you with a bright, gentle smile.

Kikkut ilissik uqumaittumik atuqtut, kikkut uqalurialiqtut iluani, nalligivikluq ataniq qaninganiittuq. Ilisimajariaqarpugut ataniq qaninganiittuq. Ilissik ilisimajariaqarpugut asanniniq aniguqtilaaqtuq. Benjamin, taanna qaujimajavut Benjamin, qaujimajavut inuusiup iluani, qanuq inuusiq asanniniqarpalaurmat. There is a memory that stays with me, a small, quiet moment that reveals the depth of his spirit. You remember the offer he made, unprompted, to give his entire piggy bank to his uncle William. He didn't break it. He didn't empty it. He didn't need to. The offer itself was the truth of his soul. It was the declaration of a boy who knew that everything he had—every coin, every dream, every hour of his life—was meant to be poured out for those he loved. This is the 'faith' that Jesus asks for in the Gospel today: not a faith that calculates, but a faith that offers.

Think of the way Ben lived. He was a boy who looked at the world and saw not obstacles, but opportunities to share. Whether it was his excitement over his 'con chim airlines' or the way he sat with Ryan, sharing a meal and a laugh, he was always looking outward. He was a steward of the joy he found in the smallest things. He lived with his hands open. And that is why he is at peace now. He is at the 'Banquet of Heaven,' and he is still that same, vibrant, curious boy. When Ryan dreams of the roller coaster, when Mom hears a voice in the middle of the night, when Dad feels the presence of his son in a dream—these are not tricks of the mind. They are the ways the Lord, our Shepherd, leads us beside the restful waters. He is telling you that the bond you share is not broken. It is merely held in a space where death has no dominion.

I want to speak to those of you who are watching from afar, perhaps carrying a cross of your own that feels too heavy to lift. Maybe you are a parent who has lost a child, or a sibling who feels the silence of a missing brother, or someone who is simply tired of the struggle. You feel like the widow in the parable, crying out for justice, wondering if your prayers are hitting a ceiling. Hear the words of the Lord: 'Will not God then secure the rights of his chosen ones who call out to him day and night?' You are not walking that valley alone. God is in the valley with you. He is the one who catches your tears. He is the one who understands the 'why' that you cannot answer. You don't have to be strong today. You don't have to have it all figured out. You only have to be present, and let the Shepherd lead you.

We are all, in a way, like the widow. We are all walking through a world that is cold and often indifferent. We are all carrying our own burdens, our own little treasures, our own fears. The call today is to be brave enough to share. If you are grieving, share your sorrow with God. Don't hide it. Don't pretend it isn't there. If you are feeling the love of Benjamin, share that with the world. Let his legacy flow like that well in Cà Mau, bringing life to those who are parched. Let his kindness be the way you speak to a stranger, the way you listen to a friend, the way you wake up and choose to keep going for his sake, and for the sake of the love that still connects you.

Benjamin is not a memory. He is a life that has been transformed, not ended. He is a part of the 'perfect four' that exists in the heart of God. He is watching over you, Alan, Thao, and Ryan, with that same gentle, braces-filled smile that used to light up a room. He is cheering for you as you navigate this new, difficult landscape. He is waiting for you at the finish line, where the math will finally make sense, where the planes will all be on time, and where there will be no more goodbyes.

So, what do you carry out the door today? Carry the freedom of the healed. You have been loved by a boy who knew how to give everything away, and you are loved by a God who gave His own Son so that you would never be alone. When you feel the ache, breathe in the grace of that reality. When you feel the weight, remember that you are an heir to eternal life. You are held. You are seen. You are home, even when you are walking through the dark. And that is enough. That is everything.