Nine out of ten funerals in which I have presided in the past ten years have had the song “On Eagle’s Wings” sung at the Mass or service. When Fr. Michael Joncas wrote the song, it was his way of consoling his friend Doug Hall, who got the news that his dad had died of a heart attack. Earlier that evening, the two men had enjoyed dinner together, but the sad news turned the sweet taste of the food into a bitter pill. Fr. Joncas who never met his friend’s dad thought the song was just something that would be both prayerful and comforting to his friend. Never did he know that he was that day penning down what would become a funeral classic. Since that funeral, the song has featured in, among other events, the funeral of the great Italian tenor Pavarotti (in Italian) and sung at the memorial for the victims of the Oklahoma City Murray Building bombing. This song drawn from the words that God gave to Moses when he addressed the Israelites appears in today’s first reading: “You have seen for yourselves how I treated the Egyptians and how I bore you up on eagle’s wings and brought you here to myself” (Exodus 19:4) extols the protective power of God over his people in times of danger and hardship.
John Walvoord and Roy Zuck describe how the eagle does this: “When young eagles are learning to fly, the mother eagle flies under them with her wings spread out to catch them,” should they be in danger of falling or targeted by archers. While other birds carry their young in their talons, the mother eagle carries hers upon her wings, so that even the archers who aim at them cannot hurt the young eagles without first hurting the mom. This is an expression of the mighty power of God, who at the Red Sea caused a pillar of cloud and fire to interpose itself between the Israelites and their Egyptian pursuers, forming an impenetrable line of defense for His people (Henry Matthew, Commentary on the Bible). There’s quite some agreement that eagles do not actually “carry” their young in their wings. Deuteronomy 32:11f expresses the true behavior of eagles better: “Like an eagle watching its nest, hovering over its young, he spread his wings to hold him, he supports him on his pinions. Yahweh alone is his guide; no alien god for him!” Here, God’s salvation is presented in the same manner in which the book of Genesis speaks about the Spirit of God that “hovered over the waters” (Gen 1:2).
The Gospel passage from Matthew 9:36 highlights how the condition of God’s people stirs His compassionate heart. Hence, the passage says that Jesus’ heart was moved with pity for the crowds who were “troubled and abandoned, like sheep without a shepherd.” Many have been concerned recently about the condition of the immigrant children at the Mexican border. The Holy family experienced a similar situation during the flight to Egypt: the plight of having to desert homeland to seek refuge in a foreign land. To resolve the migrant situation, the yelling and name calling must give way to positive action from both sides of the divide. The migrants are no machines for cheap labor; neither are they to be exploited as mere allies in the ballot box—in either case, turning human beings into spokes at the center of our political wheel. In essence, it must be noted that God’s compassion for humanity goes beyond ethnic, cultural or national boundaries. St. Paul reminds us of Christ who came to our aid when we were helpless, pouring out His blood wholly for us. Through the sacrifice of His life, He, like the mother eagle, spread His wings to support us under His pinions. To yield a harvest of good works in our time, should we not in a similar way be concerned about the needs of others, especially those who seek refuge at our shores? “When I am a stranger you welcomed me” (Matthew 25:35) are the words from Him, which should penetrate our hearts and form our consciences as we await for the coming of the kingdom.
Fr. Chukwudi Jo Okonkwo