Dear Brothers,
may the Lord grant you His peace!
With profound sorrow I inform you of the untimely passing into heaven of our dear aspirant and brother Gordon Smith, aged 48, formerly a Franciscan Tertiary, who died today at the Mount of Temptation, in Jericho, as a result of a heart attack.
Just a few hours earlier, during the Liturgy of the Word celebrated at the Jordan River, the last words heard by Gordon were:
“This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased” (Mt 3:17).
Today heaven has also opened for him, and that Word, heard in the liturgy, has become reality. It has resounded with the power of the embrace of God the Father:
Gordon, you are my beloved son, in whom I am well pleased: enter now into the Kingdom of light and peace, together with my only-begotten Son, who at the Jordan River manifested his glory as the obedient Son.
I wish to express my heartfelt thanks to the guards of the Spanish and Belgian Consulates, together with a Filipino pilgrim, who showed moving generosity in their efforts to save the life of our dear Gordon.
In this time of sorrow, we renew our profession of faith, proclaimed this morning in memory of our Baptism: “I believe in life everlasting.”
I invite you to pray for him and for his family. As soon as possible, we will communicate the information regarding the funeral rites.
Fraternally,
Fr. Francesco Ielpo, OFM
Custos of the Holy Land
