The following is the sermon preached by Bishop Dhilo Canagasabey at Fr. James’ funeral.
My dear brothers and sisters in Christ, we are gathered here before all that remains of God’s anointed servant, the Revd. Canon James Ratnanayagam, whom the Lord has called for higher service.
St. Paul in his letter to the Ephesians is praying for something. He is praying for the fullness of God to be experienced by every member of the church. And today, we are gathered around Fr. James’ mortal remains, bowing our knees in thanksgiving to God for what he achieved in his life journey, in his ministry, in his family life, the fullness of God in full measure.
We bow our knees before the Father for this man of God, who made his family to know that they derive their name from God; not only his personal family, but the community of believers in the church and also in the community in which he lived. He ministered all these years so that every believer will know that they derive their name from God, that they derive their position from God, that they derive their recognition from God; and today, even as we look back at the beautiful family he lived together with Latika and their children, Prasadini, Deveshta and Jayadeva and their families, we know that this man whom they lovingly called Aiyya, made known to them above everything that they, like he, derived their name from God.
Secondly, we are here to bow our knees before God in thanksgiving because according to the riches of God’s glory, he ministered in such a way that every person who came to a time of meeting their Lord and Master and their Saviour was strengthened in the inner person. The spiritual strength, the courage to meet any challenge and every challenge. When Latika fell ill, I always felt that there was something that had to be learned from the way in which this man of God handled Latika’s illness. The joy of knowing the Lord, the joy of serving the Lord, the joy of belonging to the Lord, never departed from his heart. The humour in which he made everybody happy, everybody felt not the absence of God but the very presence of God in the midst of the difficulties and tribulations that we are called to face. We thank God for that ministry by which he strengthened every person in the inner life of that person.
Thirdly, we are here, bowing our knees before God in thanksgiving because he sowed the seed of faith. Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith, and I believe it is that faith that led them through these long years of happy life together. Yesterday, I understand it was the 55th wedding anniversary of this beautiful couple, and I believe that may be Fr. James wanted to wait for that moment, and having completed those 55 years of partnership, 55 years of demonstrating their faith together, in good times and bad times, he decided to get back home when the Father called him.
Finally, we are here bowing our knees before the Father in thanksgiving, that through all the changing scenes of life, being rooted and grounded in the love of Christ, he comprehended the breadth, the length, and the height and the depth of the love of Christ. Thereby, here’s a man of God who reaped the good harvest of the fullness of God, a long life, a happy life, a joyful life, a life lived in hope even beyond the grave. And so today, we say thank you to God for this beautiful life lived among us and we release him, his soul unto the Lord and his mortal remains to be cremated. May God bless you all. Amen
The following is the sermon preached by Bishop Dhilo Canagasabey at Fr. James’ funeral.
My dear brothers and sisters in Christ, we are gathered here before all that remains of God’s anointed servant, the Revd. Canon James Ratnanayagam, whom the Lord has called for higher service.
St. Paul in his letter to the Ephesians is praying for something. He is praying for the fullness of God to be experienced by every member of the church. And today, we are gathered around Fr. James’ mortal remains, bowing our knees in thanksgiving to God for what he achieved in his life journey, in his ministry, in his family life, the fullness of God in full measure.
We bow our knees before the Father for this man of God, who made his family to know that they derive their name from God; not only his personal family, but the community of believers in the church and also in the community in which he lived. He ministered all these years so that every believer will know that they derive their name from God, that they derive their position from God, that they derive their recognition from God; and today, even as we look back at the beautiful family he lived together with Latika and their children, Prasadini, Deveshta and Jayadeva and their families, we know that this man whom they lovingly called Aiyya, made known to them above everything that they, like he, derived their name from God.
Secondly, we are here to bow our knees before God in thanksgiving because according to the riches of God’s glory, he ministered in such a way that every person who came to a time of meeting their Lord and Master and their Saviour was strengthened in the inner person. The spiritual strength, the courage to meet any challenge and every challenge. When Latika fell ill, I always felt that there was something that had to be learned from the way in which this man of God handled Latika’s illness. The joy of knowing the Lord, the joy of serving the Lord, the joy of belonging to the Lord, never departed from his heart. The humour in which he made everybody happy, everybody felt not the absence of God but the very presence of God in the midst of the difficulties and tribulations that we are called to face. We thank God for that ministry by which he strengthened every person in the inner life of that person.
Thirdly, we are here, bowing our knees before God in thanksgiving because he sowed the seed of faith. Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith, and I believe it is that faith that led them through these long years of happy life together. Yesterday, I understand it was the 55th wedding anniversary of this beautiful couple, and I believe that may be Fr. James wanted to wait for that moment, and having completed those 55 years of partnership, 55 years of demonstrating their faith together, in good times and bad times, he decided to get back home when the Father called him.
Finally, we are here bowing our knees before the Father in thanksgiving, that through all the changing scenes of life, being rooted and grounded in the love of Christ, he comprehended the breadth, the length, and the height and the depth of the love of Christ. Thereby, here’s a man of God who reaped the good harvest of the fullness of God, a long life, a happy life, a joyful life, a life lived in hope even beyond the grave. And so today, we say thank you to God for this beautiful life lived among us and we release him, his soul unto the Lord and his mortal remains to be cremated. May God bless you all. Amen
