Dad's eulogy as given by his brother, Rev. Ambrose Cunningham on November 1st, 1997
GOOD MORNING TO ALL OF JOHN'S CHILDREN AND GRANDCHILDREN!
John's grandchildren may recall a touching scene of departure at the end of that memorable movie entitled, "ET", when the lovable extra-terrestrial visitor was saying "Goodbye" to his earthly friend. With his colony's magnificent spaceship poised in the background --- and his parents and family members standing at the top of the boarding ramp beckoning frantically to him to hurry --- ET turned toward his friend --- lifting his wondrous healing finger --- and then pointing it to his own aching heart --- saying as he did so, "ouch"
My reason for reminding you of this scene is because your Grandpa's relatives and friends are here to join Father Showalter and me in our effort to let you and your parents know that the aches that are breaking your hearts at this moment are breaking our hearts too. Even though the angels and saints have beckoned frantically to your Dad and Grandpa to return to his eternal home from which the Creator of space had formed his soul in His own image and likeness over 85 years ago, it still hurts a lot to wave "Goodbye" doesn't it? It hurts a lot until we stop to realize that this very same Creator of space went to all of the trouble of becoming a human being so that he could visibly visit our planet earth for the purpose of revealing to all of us that His eternal home is our home too. And you know well what your Dad and Grandpa thought about home. Whenever he returned after those joy-filled journeys that brought your families together on countless occasions throughout the years, it should be no surprise to you that he kept rediscovering over and over again that there's no place like home.
Now --- from his newly discovered home in eternity --- it is our supreme prayer during this Mass that his conviction that there is no place like home is infinitely stronger --- and that his love and gratitude for you (his earthly family) is even more intense than ever before, If we were able to explore his thoughts at this very moment, I feel confident that his thanks to you (his earthly family) could never be expressed adequately to you with human words, I trust also that his deepest expression of thanks would be directed to you, Marybeth, for your unselfish attention that you have so generously offered to your Dad throughout the years --- especially when he was hurting the most. You and your brothers and sister caused your Dad to experience the dignity of honor long, long before he was greeted in the courtroom as "Your Honor". It is clear to all of us that his earthly family has taken seriously that fourth commandment of God: "Honor your father and your mother, "
Being the honorable man that we know he is, it's no wonder, is it, that persons on both sides of a legal decision were always glad to see your Dad walk into a courtroom to preside. They knew that they could depend upon Judge Cunningham to be --- not only perceptive, and objective, and fair, and firm --- but also compassionate, and understanding, and merciful, and honest. Sometimes, whenever any of us pursue the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth --- whether inside of a courtroom or throughout those everyday trials that confront all of us continuously outside of courtrooms, we run the risk of forgetting that the truth for which we seek is ultimately a person --- a person who was heard to say on one occasion: "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." --- a person who, when he was forced to defend himself in the civil court of Jerusalem two thousand years ago, was heard to say to Pontius Pilate: "The reason I was born --- the reason why I came into the world --- is to testify to the truth. Anyone who is committed to the truth hears my voice."
During those everyday trials that confront all of us, our pursuit of truth will always be on target if we allow this target to become the one who personifies truth --- and that person, of course, is Jesus. Will this be easy? No --- not at all. Jesus taught us how uneasy this is by what he experienced on Good Friday --- and He promised the same for us as we carry our daily crosses through the streets of our personal lives, This is why He said to those who are humble enough, and courageous enough, and loving enough to follow in his footsteps: "Blest are you when they insult you, and persecute you, and utter every kind of slander against you because of me, Be glad and rejoice, for your reward in heaven is great.
It is this heavenly reward for which we are praying during this Mass on behalf of Judge John Cunningham. And, as we try to visualize him standing before the bench of his Divine Judge, can't you see him glancing to his left and to his right --- and exclaiming to all of the saints who surround him: "Geeminee! Geeminee!
You sure can't beat this!"
