25 Hydref 2012

Rydym yn byw mewn byd go iawn lle mae anfadwaith yn digwydd ond mae'n Duw'n rhoi'r nerth i ni ymdopi a dod ag iachad a heddwch, meddai Esgob Trefynwy yn yr angladd heddiw (DYDD IAU) ar gyfer tair cenhedlaeth o un teulu a gafodd eu lladd mewn tân tŷ fis diwethaf.
 

Dywedodd y Gwir Barchedig Dominic Walker wrth deulu Kim Buckley, ei merch Kayleigh a'i wyres fach Kimberley fod y gymuned o'u hamgylch yn rhannu eu colled, ac wedi dod ynghyd mewn cariad, gofal a chefnogaeth.
 

Dywedodd, "Ar y groes dywedodd Iesu wrth y rhai oedd yn galaru amdano mwyaf i ofalu am ei gilydd, a gwn fod llawer iawn o bobl yn y gymuned yma fu'n mynegi gofal ar gyfer y rhai y mae'r drychineb yma wedi effeithio arnynt. Mae wedi dod ynghyd â chymuned sydd wedi dangos eu cariad a'u cefnogaeth - a hefyd efallai eu dicter a'u cwestiynau - sydd i gyd yn rhan o alaru. Dywedodd Sant Pawl wrth Gristnogion i gario beichiau ei gilydd a bendithied Duw chi am wneud hynny.'

Daeth tua 800 o bobl i'r gwasanaeth yn Eglwys Sant Gabriel, Hen Gwmbran. Arweiniwyd y gwasanaeth gan y Tad Michael Phillips, Rheithor Cwmbran, a roddodd deyrnged i Kim, Kayleigh a Kimberley ac arwain y gynulleidfa mewn gweddi. Yr emynau, a ddewiswyd gan y teulu oedd Abide With Me, Love Divine a Guide Me O Thou Great Redeemer. Cariwyd dwy arch i mewn i'r eglwys - un ar gyfer Kim ac un ar gyfer Kayleigh gyda Kimberley - i gân Westlife, We Started As Friends.

Dywedodd y Tad Michael, "Allwn ni ddim credu beth sydd wedi digwydd. Roedd y cyfan mor sydyn ac eto gwyddom ei fod yn wir. Mae ein calonnau'n llawn dicter, ac mae cyfiawnhad dros hynny, a chwestiynau pam. Ac felly daethom gerbron Duw mewn cariad a chyfeillgarwch i ddathlu eu bywydau gyda'i gilydd, gan wybod iddynt hwy, fod helbulon a gofid y byd hwn drosodd, ond gwybod hefyd fod eu bywyd newydd yn y nefoedd eisoes wedi dechrau gydag Iesu.

“Cydymdeimlwn yn ddwys gyda'r holl deulu, ond yn arbennig gyda Gwyn a John, a gollodd eu gor-wyres, a gyda Dai, partner Kim."

Ar ran y teulu, diolchodd y Tad Michael i'r "rhai a wnaeth ymgais achub ddewr yn ogystal â'r heddlu,  y gwasanaeth tân a'r gwasanaeth ambiwlans. Hefyd, wrth gwrs Uned Gofal Arbennig Babanod yn Ysbyty Brenhinol Gwent am holl ofal y staff yno, wrth edrych ar ôl Kimberley a'i galluogi i ddod adref."
 

Mae anerchiad llawn yr Esgob yn dilyn.
 

Funeral address by Bishop of Monmouth, Dominic Walker

In Wales, in recent weeks we have seen and heard the news of some terrible tragedies.  There has been the disappearance of April Jones , the death of a mother and the injury of 13 others mowed down by a van in Cardiff, the death of four people in a fire in Prestatyn and, of course the deaths of Kim, Kayleigh and Kimberley whom we come to mourn today.  Each of these cases has involved children and in each case arrests have taken place.

You may be hoping that I can make it all better, or provide some explanation as to how a loving God can allow such things to happen – and I cannot. We live in a real world where evil takes place and sometimes we just need to acknowledge it for the evil that it is.  It has been said that it is a miracle that such things don’t happen more often and that because God has planted within us a moral conscience and a knowledge of what is right and what is wrong, that such tragedies are comparatively rare, but that is of little comfort for those who have to bear such grief at their loss.

At the heart of the Christian faith is a ‘tragedy’ and we have often seen paintings of Jesus dying on the cross with Mary and the Beloved disciple weeping at the foot of the cross and asking ‘Why?’ and Jesus looks down and tells them to care for one another. It has been said that the incomprehensibility of suffering is part of the incomprehensibility of God – in other words, suffering is a mystery that we cannot understand now, but faith in the ultimate goodness of God can bring us through it.

On the cross Jesus told those who mourned him most to care for one another, and I know just how many people in the community here have been expressing their care for those most closely affected by his tragedy. It has brought together a community who have shown their love and support – and perhaps also their anger and questioning - which is all part of grieving.  St Paul told Christians to ‘Bear one another’s burdens’ and God bless you for doing that.

There is a scene in St John’s Gospel when some of the crowd walked away from Jesus because they could not accept his message.  And Jesus turned to his Twelve disciples and asked them if they also wanted to leave.  And Peter replied,’ Lord, to whom shall we go?  Your words are words of eternal life.  We have faith and we know you are the Holy One of God’. At times like this we have to ask, ‘Lord to whom shall we go?  Where can we turn?’  And if we have faith we know we can turn to Jesus who suffered on the cross and overcame death to offer us – and Kim, Kayleigh and Kimberley -the gift of life with God for ever.

For most Christians the psalm contained in the bible have a special meaning – and Jesus would have recited some of them every day.  In the psalms, men and women shout out to God expressing all kinds of human emotions – anger, bewilderment, frustration and sadness as well as praise and thanksgiving.  One psalm begins, ‘God is my strength and refuge, an ever- present help in time of trouble’ and so we turn to God asking him to hear the cries of hearts that are full of grief and to give us strength to cope – we turn to him in time of trouble praying that in time he will give healing and peace.

And so trusting in the mercy and love of God we commend Kim, Kayleigh and Kimberley into his care praying that they may rest in peace. Amen.