This past year has brought tears, nightmares, and heartache. Thanks to James and his love, it has also brought me the most beautiful, joyful, and feisty baby boy. I’m grateful for the new friends I’ve made, the people who’ve shown their love in more ways than I could ever imagine, and for YOU - for walking me though this past year and for all the unceasing prayers and support. May God bless you and your family abundantly and may you see Christ in the joys and struggles that this year will bring. James always challenged me to go farther, faster, higher, better – and never settle! This year I will strive to make you proud and continue to live your legacy! Below is the eulogy Dr. Stephan Esser delivered a little over a year ago at James’ Funeral Mass. Feel free to read on and be challenged by James this New Year! All the best during 2015. Eulogy for James Paul Buerkle; delivered November 27th, 2013 By Stephan Esser “With night-fall weeping enters in, but with the dawn comes rejoicing” (Psalm 30:6). My name is Stephan Esser and I am blessed to say James Buerkle was my brother in Christ, my cousin, a friend and confidant, an example of a faithful husband, a romantic, an artistic spirit, a one-time tennis student of mine, a mentee, a mentor, and most recently a colleague in healthcare. I was blessed to be born into the same family as James Buerkle. The Esser-Buerkles are part of the same tree and have been close for at least three generations. So close in fact that James’ Godparents were my parents and today we will lay James’ body beside them. All three of them have died prematurely and their deaths have been tests of my faith. James and Cristina are our daughter’s god-parents, yet one more connection. I give thanks for the Buerkle’s in my life and for how they have helped make me the man I am today. Before I go further, let me say James was not perfect; after all I remember those clutch missed backhand volleys on the tennis court and James’ tendency to intentionally peg opponents during match play when frustrated. However, these occasional mis-steps are not what I came to share with you about this morning, but rather to share with you some of the marvelous lessons that James Buerkle taught me during his “short, full and complete life.” Prioritize Family: Your wife will be like a fruitful vine within your home, your children like young olive plants around your table. Just so will the man be blessed who fears the Lord” (Psalm 128:3-4). James would not be the amazing man I give testimony to today if it were not for his family. The unfailing love and support of his mother, the encouragement and discipline of his father, the example and cohesiveness of his siblings… they each helped develop different elements of his character. Each of them promoted in him a life of integrity, charity, and a call to greater personal holiness. James loved his siblings and their families. After college he never entered the partying/clubbing scene that many young men dabble in but most evenings and weekends found him with his parents or with his brother John, Rich, sister-in-law Jen and his nieces Katie and Emily. He brought such joy, animation and playfulness to their lives and they filled his. In the last three years James “family” has expanded and just over five months ago, the term “family” came to include a remarkable, beautiful deeply spiritual, caring, compassionate intelligent woman of faith named Cristina. She is the love of his life, his soulmate, and wife. A few beautiful months ago we witnessed James and Cristina commit their lives to each other before God and today as we celebrate James’ transition to be with his heavenly Father, we also celebrate the beautiful family of James, Cristina and the young child she carries within her. Grow in Faith: “Therefore since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us rid ourselves of every burden and sin that clings to us, and persevere in running the race that lies before us while keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus the leader and perfector of faith” (Hebrews 12:1-2). I do not believe that James had a particularly intense spirituality growing up. James attended weekly Mass, prayed the rosary at home with family most nights and attended Christian schools. However, in the last three years I witnessed James’ faith life intensify and I saw him grow in maturity as a man of God. Suddenly he was mentioning holy hours he was doing, and novenas, and spiritual readings. Something had changed. I attribute the spiritual growth foremost to the Holy Spirit and secondly to Cristina who witnessed to James through her daily devotions, words of encouragement and commitment to virtue. Thank you for that Cristina. You gave him an amazing gift. James’ own closer walk of faith inspired me to deepen my spiritual life and to seek a path of greater holiness. I realize James never did mission work in India, or entered a monastery in silence, or other great acts of service or giving. No news crews interviewed him or highlighted his philanthropy on the front page of the “Times.” However, it was in the silent, small things: the way he helped move my family in to a new apartment in the midst of a tropical depression, the way he cared for and spent hours playing with his nieces and nephews, and the way he spoke gently of friend and foe alike… It was the small things that inspired me. “We can do no great things; only small things with great love.” (Mother Theresa of Calcutta) Pursue Excellence “It is Jesus that you seek when you dream of happiness. He is waiting for you when nothing else you find satisfies you. It is Jesus who stirs in you the desire to do something great with your lives… the will to follow an ideal, the refusal to allow yourselves to be ground down by mediocrity, the courage to commit yourselves humbly and patiently to improving yourselves and society, making the world more human” (John Paul II). Four years ago James graduated from Palm Beach Atlantic College, our shared alma mater. While there he played varsity tennis and completed studies in Biology. At graduation his vision for the future was unclear. He dabbled with various possible options including testing to join the Coast Guard. But then he found his calling… “Chiropractic.” He had been treated by Chiropractors as a boy. His great uncle Dr. Esser was a chiropractor and advocate of plant-based nutrition, and James embraced his new path at Palmer Chiropractic College in Port Orange, Fl. Though I chose medical school, our paths were similar. We shared a lot of similarities. In fact, one of our young nieces recently commented, “James is like Uncle Stephan, only James is better looking.” …And she was right. James excelled in chiropractic school, added additional certificates to his training, just completed his national boards in November, and was preparing to purchase a practice in South Florida next month. Inspirational. James inspired me in my work. We would occasionally talk and he would tell me stories of patients who he was counseling on plant-based nutrition and how he was helping to improve their blood pressure, weight, and overall health. He re-invigorated my enthusiasm for serving patients and touching lives. His patients were not the only ones he inspired, encouraged, and cajoled. I still have saved in my e-mail an iPhone video of him doing push-ups while studying. He sent me this in response to a comment I made that I “didn’t have time to exercise recently.” Of course, who can forget his “workout of the day” text messages and the text photos of recent particularly healthy meals he had consumed? …All sent to encourage us to strive for our best health daily. It was this passion that James and Cristina shared together. Their example including hosting healthy eating potlucks and the like inspire me to share this message with others and to improve my own health. James transitioned the last three years from a young and at times, self-focused boy to and other-focused, dedicated young man and passionate leader. He wrote me a letter for a recent men’s retreat I attended. In it, he shared the quote “in order to achieve something you have never achieved, you have to become someone you have never been.” James became a new and different person. He challenges us to ask ourselves, “Who do my actions and words say I want to be today and tomorrow? Who am I becoming?” Trust: I cannot lie to you. My world has been shaken by the death of James Buerkle. I feel broken inside and I am struggling to make sense of it all. Many future plans, hopes, and dreams have been scattered for many of us gathered here, but one word continues to return to my heart… “Trust.” And so I do. For I trust and believe that good is stronger than evil, faith is stronger than doubt, and life is stronger than death. I believe in the communion of saints, and I look forward to the final resurrection. “Knowing that affliction produces endurance, and endurance, proven character and proven character hope and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us” (Romans 5:4-5). James inspirired my life. He taught me to deepen and live out my faith. He taught me the value of family. He taught me to always pursue excellence. On his behalf I challenge you to do the same. James Paul Buerkle lived a short, full, and complete life. My name is Stephan Esser. I am blessed and proud to say James Buerkle was my brother in Christ, my cousin, a friend, an example of a faithful husband, a romantic, an artistic spirit, a one time tennis student of mine, a mentee, a mentor and an inspiration on my life! May he rest in peace and may God be with us! (Transcriber’s note: James did go on a mission trip to the Bahamas and a medical mission to Honduras with Frs. Julian and Alex. He also saved a man from drowning before entering Chiropractic school.)
Posted on: Wed, 31 Dec 2014 03:42:58 +0000
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