Because We Love

 

I remember when my dad first taught me to use a hammer.  He held the nail, and showed me how to hit it directly down, not on the side, and to swing hard.  I tried, ---- and I only hit his thumb once.  And I also recall the times when my mom asked me to help with her baking bread, stirring the ingredients and later, kneading the dough --- although my little hands didn’t accomplish much there.  Still, my dad thanked me for helping him with his repair work, and my mom later said “This is the bread Tommy and I made.”  My part in either of those works was miniscule, yet they wanted me to have a part.  They wanted to teach me something.

I heard a radio discussion about offering up our sufferings to Christ, to be united with His for the forgiveness of sins.  I’ve heard it said before how Christ’s suffering was enough; we don’t really need to add to it.  His suffering alone atoned for our sins.  Yes, but my dad’s repair job and my mom’s baking efforts didn’t need (knead? 😊 ) my help either.  But they wanted me to participate in their work for a reason.  I think Jesus wishes us to participate in His suffering also, for the same reason.  They want to teach us something that can’t really be learned just by words; we need to be part of it, to practice doing it, to get it right.  Regarding suffering, it’s like those household chores; it’s part of life.  But with the household chores we can see the good physical results.  We can’t see the good results of suffering, especially our own.

A saint once said “Without suffering, there can be no love.”  What that saint was saying is that if our life were perfect, if everything were given to us --- no pain and everyone always agreed with us --- we’d be living like a king, like having heaven on earth.  But never having hungered or hurt or having been in need, how could we develop a love for the poor, the suffering, or the needy?  Having a heaven on earth, how could we develop a yearning for an eternal heaven?  How could we love our Christian family?  That’s what Jesus came to show us how to do.  He taught us even as my dad and mom taught me.  But He taught us one thing no common earthly person could have done; He died for us and opened the way to eternal life, to eternal happiness.  Do we have to in any way participate in His death to make it better somehow?  No, but our suffering and offering of that suffering to join with His creates a greater awareness of just what He willingly did, and its importance for us.  And just as my dad and mom thanked me for my little part, I think Jesus will thank us for our willing suffering, as He did.  He’ll feel as if we’ve done our part --- because we love Him

Honor Thy Father and Thy Mother

 

The Archbishop of Detroit asked us to begin a prayer ministry focused on prayers for the souls in Purgatory.  It sounded like a good thing, and I resolved to do it.  I’ve failed in my resolve.  I’ve failed, and never really began.

When I read the words from a funeral card of a friend’s mother, I had a mass said in honor of her birthday, and I prayed for her.  But it was in one of my Bible Study groups where someone mentioned the Fourth Commandment:  Honor Thy Father and Thy Mother.  Then I, in my great ego-centered wisdom spoke: “Yes, and it is the only commandment with a trailing clause: ‘That you may have eternal life.’”  And the group briefly discussed the importance of honoring our father and mother.  At first that meant nothing to me, but then I recalled that I had that mass said for the deceased mother of a friend, but when was the last time I had a mass said for my mom or dad?  I couldn’t recall.

While I was adoration this weekend, I paused and went out of the chapel into the church to pick up the parish Sunday bulletin.  While there, a small booklet caught my eye:  Novena for the Relief of the Poor Souls in Purgatory.  I recalled my unfilled resolve to pray for souls, and I picked up the booklet.  Back in the chapel, I prayed day 1 of the 9-day novena.  I tried to be sincere in my prayers, but suddenly I became VERY sincere, as I turned the page and read the De Profundus prayer:

            Out of the depths I have cried to Thee, O Lord:
            Lord, hear my voice.
            Let Thy ears be attentive to the voice of my supplication.
            If Thou, O Lord, will mark iniquities; Lord, who shall stand it?
            For with Thee there is merciful forgiveness; and by reason of Thy law
            I have waited for Thee, O Lord.
            My soul hath relied on His word; my soul hath hoped in the Lord.
            From the morning-watch even until night; let Israel hope in the Lord.
            Because with the Lord there is mercy,
            And with Him plentiful redemption.
            And He shall redeem Israel from all his iniquities.

            Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord.
            And let perpetual light shine upon them.

            From the gate of Hell,
            Deliver their souls, O Lord
            May they rest in peace.  Amen.
            O Lord, hear my prayer,
            And let my cry come unto Thee.
            The Lord be with You.
            And with Thy Spirit.

            Let us pray:

            O God, the Creator and Redeemer of all the faithful, we beseech Thee
            to grant to the Souls of Thy servants the remission of their sins, so that
            by our prayers they may obtain pardon for which they long.  O Lord,
            Who livest and reignest, world without end.  Amen.

And then I read the concluding prayer of that novena:

Let us pray for our departed parents:

O God, Who had commanded us to honor our Father and Mother,
have pity on them, deliver them from the pains which they have
deserved, and grant that I may see them in the glory of Heaven.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ.  Amen.

Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord
And let perpetual light shine upon them.
May they rest in peace.  Amen.

My prayers for mam and dad were most sincere, and I know I will pray for them each day of this novena.  This morning I added their names and the names of my departed brother and sister into the Book of Life, so that they will be prayed for at every mass offered at the church this month.

Why had I failed to pray for my family all this time?  The Commandment Honor Thy Father and Mother didn’t conclude with “While they are on earth,” yet I somehow acted as if it did.  We need to pray for them always.  It’s important, if nothing else than for selfish reasons.  That commandment did conclude with the words “That you (that’s you and I) may have eternal life.”

My prayer for their souls is so that they may be moved on from Purgatory, AND that I may join them “in the eternal glory of heaven.”   

Honor your father and your mother.  Pray for them.  And if you are so blessed that they are still alive, go to them this Thanksgiving and most calmly and sincerely say to them: “You know I love you, and I don’t say it often enough.  But I do love you.  I am so blessed that you gave me life.  I will never forget you.”

You know I love you ---- the last words said by my mom to me.  I will never forget.

And We Fight On

 

The Gospel read at mass this morning was about the wife who had seven husbands (Lk 20:27).  The Sadducees then asked Jesus, when she dies “to which of them will she be wife?”  Jesus answers: “Those who are judged worthy of a place in the other world … do not marry because they can no longer die … He is God not of the dead, but the living.”  Commenting on the reading, the priest offered a pun, that the Sadducees are “sad you see” because they do not believe in life after death, whereas the Resurrection is the cornerstone of the Christian faith.  Death is the door to eternal life, but we on earth must fight on.

I honored the memory of my good friend’s mother by having a mass said for her today; had she still lived on earth, today would have been her 90^th birthday.  The Gospel reminds us, however, that in heaven there will be no marriage, no death, nor will there be birthday celebrations.  There is no passing of time there, but an eternal now, where we shall live with the God of the living.  Each morning I glance at the funeral card of my friend’s mother, and today the words there seemed most appropriate, as a reminder to not worry about this life, nor fear death, or worry about our deceased loved ones whom we will soon join again.

 

When I am gone, release me, let me go,
I have so many things to see and do.
You mustn’t tie yourself to me with tears.
Be happy that we had so many years.
I gave to you my love.  You can only guess
how much you gave to me in happiness.
I thank you for the love you each have shown
But now it’s time I traveled on alone.
So grieve a while for me if grieve you must,
Then let your grief be comforted by trust.
It's only for a while that we must part
So bless with memories within your heart.
I won’t be far away, for life goes on.
So if you need me, call and I will come.
Though you can’t see or touch me.  I’ll be near
And if you listen with your heart, you’ll hear
All of my love around you soft and clear.
And then, when you must come this way alone,
I’ll greet you with a smile, and say “Welcome Home.”

 

- - - - - - - - - -

Driving home from church, I listened to Deacon Tome Lowe and Sister Sarah play music which celebrated Memorial Day.  She read the words of the hymn they played, and when I got home, I went online to copy the words and watch that hymn performed by many different choral groups, all of which made me cry with joy.  The hymn was titled “The Mansions of the Lord”, and was written for Mel Gibson’s 2002 movie: We Were Soldiers Once.  And that hymn was sung as the recessional hymn at President Ronald Reagan’s funeral two years later.

 

The Mansions of the Lord

To fallen soldiers let us sing,
Where no rockets fly nor bullets wing,
Our broken brothers let us bring
To the Mansions of the Lord.

No more weeping,
No more fight,
No friends bleeding through the night.
Just Divine embrace,
Eternal light,
In the Mansions of the Lord.

Where no mothers cry
And no children weep,
We shall stand and guard
Though the angels sleep,
Oh, through the ages safely keep
The Mansions of the Lord