Considering the end of Life as we know it...

"I want you to do something for me," said my friend. She had just finished receiving "the Body of Christ" from me and we had prayed our words of thanksgiving for this wonderful gift.

We were in her room at a rehab center near my home. I was coming straight from Sunday Mass to bring her Holy Communion. She was and is hungry for her Jesus and wants me to come to her whenever I can. She is a woman of deep faith, strength and courage, and I love her... She has become like a sister to me. And the feeling is mutual.

"At my funeral, I want you to say some words of consolation to my family. I want you to tell them about me," she continued. This is the first time she has spoken to me about her death.

"Yes, I will do that for you..." I said.

It only took a moment for me to make up my mind... This was no time to give false hope when we both knew that her illness was severe. I had been with our priest when he anointed her during a recent hospitalization. She was in a coma and the doctors had told her family that they could do no more. She had recovered from pneumonia that time and now, if she can get strong enough with physical therapy, she can go home. But only a miracle can cure her cancer at this end stage.

- - - - - - - - -

I began visiting my friend to bring her Holy Communion about two years ago. She called me one day at the recommendation of our priest and asked if I would visit her. Though my parish is small and I knew who she was, I had not really spoken to her other than a nod or a "hello"... She knew me only as a choir member and a lector.

She had just been diagnosed with a virulent form of cancer and would not be able to come to Mass for awhile because of the aggressive treatment. I had not even noticed that she was missing from the congregation and no one else in the parish except for our priest and her godmother even knew that she was ill. My friend is a very private person. It was not until this last hospitalization that parishioners learned of her illness and could pray for her by name.

I visited her soon after her initial phone call and we connected right away; and so our friendship began. We have marveled many times how God works in bringing people together. How our priest had happened to select the right person for her, and for me too.

- - - - - - - -

I am really honored to be asked to speak at her funeral and I will tell her story of grace, courage and love.

My friend is preparing herself to leave this world and to enter the next. She is indeed fortunate to be able to do that. Think of how many people are taken in an instant...

But all hope has not been lost for her; for only God knows what He has in store for her. The prayer I said for her after she had received her Jesus, was that God would give her the grace to surrender her life to Him for whatever purpose He had for her. Amen.

Psalm 42 ~ As the Deer panteth for the Water

I was thinking about one of my favorite gospel songs the other day. It is called "As the Deer" and is based on Psalm 42. My gospel choir's version has a few Alleluias at the end which I have never found on any of the commercial renditions of the song that I have listened to. Maybe our choir director at the time we learned this song put the Alleluias there herself. It wouldn't have surprised me...

Rita was a fine musician and played by ear... I'm not sure she could read much music but it didn't hamper her at all. She was a natural. She was a Baptist preacher who was our choir director for 13 years! Strange, isn't it? A Catholic choir director who was a Baptist preacher. Worked for us!

Anyway, the words we sing go like this:

As the deer panteth for the water

So my soul longeth after thee.

You alone are my heart's desire

And I long to worship thee.

You alone are my strength, my shield
(To) you alone does my spirit yield...
You alone are my heart's desire
And I long to worship thee.

Allelu- Alleluia...

O Lord, we praise your name.
All the glory
All the praise...
O Lord, we praise your name.


Here is a uTube version (without the alleluias)

As the Deer

Easter Vigil 2010

I've thought back a lot to the Plurk I wrote yesterday about an incident that occurred before the Easter Vigil on Holy Saturday evening at my parish. It really struck me and made me realize something much deeper was happening than I had at first imagined. So, I thought I would expand the Plurk into a blog article...


Holy Saturday: Keeping Vigil

This evening when I arrived at church, I was carrying a seafood platter for my priest. I found him praying in the sacristy where Jesus had been reserved after Adoration at the Altar of Repose had come to a close on Holy Thursday.

My priest had placed a folding chair there in our small sacristy so that he could come there during the day to pray. Our tabernacle in the sanctuary stood empty, its doors open. The Altar of Repose had been removed the day before...

My priest knew that I would be arriving soon with the seafood platter, which would be his Easter breakfast since he was fasting. For how long, I knew not...

He heard me as I approached the doorway behind him. As he got up, he told me I should take his place in the chair and pray for the next ten minutes while he took the food over to the rectory. He said he had been praying specifically for Pope Benedict and I was to continue his prayer until he returned. He even reminded me a second time before he left.

Being the dutiful parishioner that I am, I sat down and spent the next few minutes in prayer for our pope. The door to the little sacristy cabinet where Jesus was reserved was open and I could see the ciborium there. Jesus was waiting...

When my priest returned, he took my place in front of the Blessed Sacrament and continued his prayer. And I left to do my duties in the church, helping to prepare for the Vigil.

The chain of prayer had remained unbroken... And the exposed Sacrament had not been left alone.

Were you there, when they crucified my Lord...

I used these reflections as I led the Stations of the Cross on Good Friday at my parish. Perhaps they will be helpful for others...


First Station: Jesus is condemned to death

Jesus prays: Father, in the Garden of Gethsemane, I begged You to let this cup pass from me. But I knew even then that I would accept it and that Your Will would be my destiny. Pilate has given me over to people who hate me. They cry out for me to be crucified... and I am afraid.

Second Station: Jesus carries His Cross

Jesus prays: Father, help me in this, my final journey. They have crushed a crown of thorns on my head; they have scourged my body; and now, they have thrust a heavy cross across my bleeding back... Father, please give me the strength to carry this cross up Calvary Hill. I feel so alone... but I know You are with me. And Father, I forgive them...

Third Station: Jesus falls the first time

Jesus prays: Oh Father, the cross is too heavy. My body is too weak. I can scarcely see what is ahead of me and I have stumbled and fallen. The people are mocking me as they drag me to my feet again... Father, help me...

Fourth Station: Jesus meets His afflicted Mother

Jesus and His Mother speak: Mother... Mother...
My son, my precious son... If only I could take your place... But I will walk with you... I will never leave you... I love you...

Fifth Station: Simon of Cyrene helps Jesus to carry His Cross

Simon speaks: The soldiers are pushing me toward the cross and are forcing me to help a man carry it. Will they crucify me too? Oh, God, behold the man... I recognize him. Truly, he is now a man of sorrows and familiar with suffering. Jesus, I will help you...

Sixth Station: Veronica wipes the Face of Jesus

Veronica speaks: What have they done to my Lord? He is like someone from whom people hide their faces. They despise and reject him. My Lord, let me wipe the blood from your face...

Seventh Station: Jesus falls the second time

Jesus prays: Father, give me courage... People are crowding around me. I can scarcely breathe... I am so tired. I stumble and fall hard on the sharp cobblestones. The soldiers are dragging me to my feet once more, because I have no strength left. They will not let me die here...

Eighth Station: Jesus meets the women of Jerusalem

Jesus speaks: Father, the crowd has gotten larger and among the people are many of the women who used to accompany me. Their tears touch my heart. Despite my anguish, I want to comfort them. Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me, but for yourselves and for your children.

Ninth Station: Jesus falls a third time

Jesus prays: Father, I cannot go on... I am sick unto death. I have lost too much blood... The way has become steeper because we are climbing Calvary Hill. Again, I slip on the jagged stones and am crushed to the ground by the weight of the cross... I know the end of my journey is near. Your Will is hard, Father, but I put my hope and trust in You. There is nothing else...

Tenth Station: Jesus is stripped of His clothes

Jesus prays: Father, I have reached my destination. Here I stand on Calvary Hill. They have taken my clothes and are casting lots for them. They taunt and revile me in my nakedness. I have been led like a lamb to the slaughter. Soon I will be cut off from the land of the living... Stay near me, Father... I need You...

Eleventh Station: Jesus is nailed to the Cross

Jesus prays: Oh my Father, the pain is so great I can hardly bear it. These hand that have healed your people... These hands that have blessed their children... These hand that have broken the bread and blessed the cup... These hand have almost been split apart by the spikes nailed through them. My feet that have walked in your paths, will do so no more in this life. As the cross is raised, my body is now being dragged down by my weight... and I am in agony...

Twelfth Station: Jesus dies on the Cross

Jesus speaks and prays his final words:

Father, forgive them, they don't know what they are doing...

Truly, I tell you, today you will be with me in Paradise...

My God, my God, why have You forsaken me...

I'm so thirsty...

It is finished...

Father, into Your hands, I commend my spirit...

Thirteenth Station: The body of Jesus is taken down from the Cross

Mary speaks: Be careful... Be gentle with him... John, bring me my son. I want to hold him in my arms one last time... Oh, my precious Jesus... My son...

Fourteenth Station: Jesus is laid in the tomb

Joseph of Arimathea speaks: Mary, I have a tomb already hewn into the rock. We will wrap the body of Jesus in a linen cloth and will lay him there. I will seal the tomb with a large stone so no one can steal his body...


Our Heavenly Father speaks to US: Through his suffering, my servant shall justify many, and their guilt he shall bear. Therefore, I will give him his portion among the great and he shall divide the spoils with the mighty, because he surrendered himself to death and was counted among the wicked; And he shall take away the sins of many, and win pardon for their offenses. Is 53:11-12

Ways That Lead Nowhere; and the Awareness of Sin

From Psalm 139:

"Look into me, God, and know my heart;
Examine me and know my paths.
See if I am wandering on ways that lead nowhere,
And set my feet on the path to eternity."


Lord, you showed me very painfully that I had wandered on a way that leads nowhere...

That what I was mentally accusing others of, was precisely my own sin. The arrogance and pride that I attributed to others also resided in my own soul. That the anger and disgust I felt for the persons involved was my judgement of them - something I have no right to do.

Oh, my sin hit me like a rock! I was humbled. I was shocked... because I saw so clearly that I was no better than what I was attributing to others. And that sin was eroding and destroying my soul.

Have mercy on me, Lord... and forgive me. The Lord heard my plea.

As I was deciding what to do about the situation, the phone rang. It was my priest. After our conversation, I said I had something to ask of him: "After our parish meeting tonight, will you hear my confession?"

God is good...

How to Ruin a Good Thing - A Cautionary Tale

As I was praying the OOR this morning, I was struck by a line from Psalm 69: "Idlers at the gate speak against me."

Can't you picture these folks at the entrance of a city or a courtyard gate anywhere, having nothing better to do than to spread gossip and rumors about other people? I can...

Oh yes... and then I remembered an incident that happened to me a long time ago. Here is the story of how I ruined a good thing.

Maybe about 30 years ago, I was working as social minister in my parish. I would be in the parish office a couple days a week, taking calls and visits from people who needed assistance. I liked doing this kind of ministry and I learned a lot during those years.

One day, one of my parishioner friends phoned me and said: "Do you realize that there are rumors going around about you?" What!?

And she proceeded to tell me what was being said and who was spreading the rumors. I was shocked, stunned, disbelieving, hurt, angry and frightened... I immediately went to my priest and told him what was being said. He simply shrugged it off and said: "This happens all the time. If you can't stand the heat; get out of the kitchen!" Not exactly what I wanted to hear...

What to do... what to do? I certainly wasn't going to "get out of the kitchen"... I had done nothing wrong. But there were surely "idlers at the gate" who wished me harm with their gossip.

Here is what I decided to do. I thanked my friend for telling me what was happening. I decided I would not acknowledge any of the rumors. I would not confront the person either. I simply went on about my business and did my work as I always had.

The woman who was spreading the rumors was very active in the parish and was doing a lot of good and commendable work there. At every opportunity, when people gathered and happened to mention her name, I would always make sure to say something complimentary about her and to acknowledge all the good she was doing. I never spoke badly or complained about her even when I heard others do so. When our paths crossed, I always made a point to be pleasant to her.

I guess, eventually the rumors stopped... No one else ever brought them to my attention. People realized that they were untrue; and eventually, the woman left the parish.

So... you may be thinking, that I really handled that situation well, so how did I ruin a good thing?

Well... even though I recognize that I had handled it in the best possible manner, this episode is forever tainted in my mind because I fell right into the evil one's trap! Pride replaced the good decisions I had made... how happy I was because the woman had left the parish. I had my revenge for the hurt she caused me...

Look how quickly evil can replace good. How pride and ego can slip in... How vengefulness can overcome honor and honesty in dealing with others... The purity of my motives had disappeared. Sad, isn't it...

There was a concluding prayer today in the OOR:

"In your goodness Lord, fill us with your grace.
Make us draw back from our human excesses
And hold fast to the heavenly wisdom that is your gift."

In My Hands

Something quite beautiful happened today. My priest and I were planning to visit a parishioner this morning to bring her Jesus. I had just placed a Host in my pyx when my priest came into the church. I was getting ready to hand him my pyx when he said that he had come to tell me that he was ill with a fever and could not visit our parishioner. I was holding the pyx in my hand.

I had something that I wanted to speak to my priest about and asked him if we could talk for a few minutes before I left to take Jesus to our friend. He agreed. I was holding the pyx in my hand...

We talked for several minutes. As I was listening to him, I was very moved by what he was saying. I was thinking to myself, "This is truly a holy priest." I was really grateful to be his friend. I thought these things as I was holding the pyx in my hand.

As we finished our conversation, I had a strong desire to receive a blessing from him... something I had never asked of him before.

"Before I leave, would you give me your blessing?"

"No," said my priest. "You don't need my blessing... You are holding the Blessed Sacrament in your hands..."