Category: Grief

Greetings on this the Memorial of Saint Bonaventure, Bishop and Doctor of the Church
Readings: Gn 49:29-32; 50:15-26a; Ps 105:1-2, 3-4, 6-7; Mt 10:24-33
Notes: It is enough for the disciple that he become like his teacher, for the slave that he become like his master.

Jesus is the Teacher and the Master and, as we know, Lord.

My Dad drove trucks.
I have driven many different trucks just like my Dad and it makes me happy.

When I drive trucks for the Guatemala-Maya Center and am triply happy.

1. I’m driving trucks like my Dad.
2. I’m feeding the poor and tending to the downtrodden like my Master.
3. I am working as the body of the Church in physical and mystical charity like the saints of old.

We are happy to be like Jesus as a son tries to be like his father.
In today’s first reading we see the unity of spirit even in the burial rituals.

Jacob is to be buried with his grandfather, father and brothers and their wives.
Joseph is to be buried with his patriarchs as well.

Both in life and in death we consider each other and try to be our best reflection of the Lord who loves us.

It is enough in the power of Jesus to do the healing effects of Jesus. It is enough in the power of the Holy Spirit to teach and lead others in the way of the beatitudes. It is enough in the likeness of the Father to bind everyone into the embrace of love.

Reflection on Bonaventrure by Franciscans.

Bonaventure so united holiness and theological knowledge that he rose to the heights of mysticism while remaining a very active preacher and teacher, one beloved by all who met him. To know him was to love him; to read him is still for us today to meet a true Franciscan and a gentleman.

Source: https://www.franciscanmedia.org/saint-of-the-day/saint-bonaventure/

First Reading
There Abraham and his wife Sarah are buried, and so are Isaac and his wife Rebekah, and there, too, I buried Leah– the field and the cave in it that had been purchased from the Hittites.”

Joseph said to his brothers: “I am about to die. God will surely take care of you and lead you out of this land to the land that he promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.” Then, putting the sons of Israel under oath, he continued, “When God thus takes care of you, you must bring my bones up with you from this place.” Joseph died at the age of a hundred and ten.

Much later… Moses also took Joseph’s bones with him, for Joseph had made the Israelites take a solemn oath, saying, “God will surely take care of you, and you must bring my bones up with you from here. (Ex 13:19).

Responsorial
Be glad you lowly ones; may your hearts be glad!

Give thanks to the LORD, invoke his name; make known among the nations his deeds. Sing to him, sing his praise, proclaim all his wondrous deeds.

Gospel Acclamation
If you are insulted for the name of Christ, blessed are you, for the Spirit of God rests upon you.

Gospel
It is enough for the disciple that he become like his teacher, for the slave that he become like his master.

Peace be with you,
Deacon Gerry

Greetings on this the Wednesday of the Ninth Week in Ordinary Time
Readings: Tb 3:1-11a, 16-17a; Ps 25:2-3, 4-5ab, 6 and 7bc, 8-9; Mk 12:18-27
Notes: Deep distress requires a deeper answer.

The Lord brings relief for our afflictions in this life and has removed our final affliction of death to the promise of eternal life.

Tobit and Sarah both in deep distress in the story telling of the book of Tobit.

Tobit laments the oppression of the Assyrians, his blindness and his harsh words at his wife Anna.
He thinks about the causation.
He prays for death.

Sarah laments her intolerable marriage situation where seven men were unable to be husband and the continuous mockery of the maids.
She has no thought to the causation so incalculable is its cause.
She considers taking matters into her own hands by suicide but thinks better of it.
She prays for death.

It is a prayer of desperation.
It is beyond my power to change licitly and I feel the situation is unresolvable.

Then let me die.
Death seemed the better option to Tobit and Sarah.

We know that the second life of heaven is a part of the Jewish theology at that time so one should assume that both Tobit and Sarah have at least a passing thought to the restored life in the destination Tobit requests: let me go to the everlasting abode. The place where they are like the angels in heaven.

Their prayers and yours do rise to the Heavens.
Their prayers and yours are heard in the glorious presence of Almighty God.

They that hope in the LORD will renew their strength, they will soar on eagles’ wings; They will run and not grow weary, walk and not grow faint (ISA 40:31).

The ultimate answer of the Lord is the resurrection.
Troubles come and troubles go but the promise of life remains and its potency remains.
Death is powerless in the comparison to the promise of the everlasting abode.

Some Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, and put the ironic test to the Lord.
The sarcasm is intense and complete. No doubt the Sadducees knew the story of Tobit and Sarah and acted as if the moral of the story is void of potency.

They are accusing G-d of not only failing to answer the prayers of the woman with seven dead husbands but that even in the end death is the final outcome.
A death of annihilation.

Jesus said to them, “Are you not misled because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God?
He is not God of the dead but of the living. You are greatly misled.

First Reading
At that very time, the prayer of these two suppliants was heard in the glorious presence of Almighty God.

So Raphael was sent to heal them both: to remove the cataracts from Tobit’s eyes, so that he might again see God’s sunlight; and to marry Raguel’s daughter Sarah to Tobit’s son Tobiah, and then drive the wicked demon Asmodeus from her.

Responsorial
To you, O Lord, I lift my soul.

Gospel Acclamation
I am the resurrection and the life, says the Lord; whoever believes in me will never die.

Gospel
I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.
And of you.

And to the Lord and in the Lord you will live forever.

Hope in the Lord, for your ‘now’ and for your ‘forever’.

They that hope in the LORD will renew their strength, they will soar on eagles’ wings; They will run and not grow weary, walk and not grow faint (ISA 40:31).

Peace be with you,
Deacon Gerry

Greetings on this The Seventh Day in the Octave of Christmas
Readings: 1 Jn 2:18-21; PS 96:1-2, 11-12, 13; Jn 1:1-18
Notes: The Gospel of John does not contain an infancy narrative.

The gospel account does these distinct things instead:

1. The gospel starts as the book of Genesis starts. In the beginning.
2. It aligns the Christ event with the first creation by the Word of God of matter and light.
3. It proclaims the Incarnation in the context of creation and light.

John making sure we know from the beginning the Lord knew he would one day dwell among us as brother and friend. So that we might see God according to our capacity to see him.

We saw and related to the Father’s only-begotten Son, full of grace and truth, and sharer of the Father’s glory.

Pope Benedict delighted in teaching of this marvelous Lord who wished intimate life with us because of the generous love, super abundant love, of the divine. He saw faith as a growing and ever evolving expression of truth.

I have much more to tell you, but you cannot bear it now (Jn 16:12).
An ever changing and growing perspective: But when he comes, the Spirit of truth, he will guide you to all truth (Jn 16:13a).

We have inevitably to face up to the question of whether man is made for the truth.

• Cardinal Ratzinger, Feast of the Transfiguration of Christ, 2003.

And the responsibility to live our existence as a response – as a response to what we are in truth.
(Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger, Truth and Tolerance, p. 10 and p. 254)

It is our responsibility to do so. Pope Benedict did the best he could.

Pope Benedict XVI, 95 y/o, has died. Only 20 minutes ago.

Eternal rest grant unto him, O Lord,
and may the Perpetual Light shine upon him.
May his soul, and the souls of all the faithful departed,
through the mercy of God,
rest in peace.

Amen.

First reading
Children, it is the last hour; and just as you heard that the antichrist was coming, so now many antichrists have appeared.

Every lie is alien to the truth.

Responsorial Psalm
Let the heavens be glad and the earth rejoice!

Alleluia Verse
The Word of God became flesh and dwelt among us. To those who accepted him he gave power to become the children of God.

Gospel Portion
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came to be through him, and without him nothing came to be. What came to be through him was life, and this life was the light of the human race; the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

And the Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us, and we saw his glory, the glory as of the Father’s only-begotten Son, full of grace and truth.

Peace be with you,
Deacon Gerry

Greetings on this the Wednesday of the Twenty-seventh Week in Ordinary Time
Readings: Gal 2:1-2, 7-14; Ps 117:1bc, 2; Lk 11:1-4
Notes:

Speaking of the first reading a few days ago: I am amazed that you are so quickly forsaking the one who called you by the grace of Christ for a different gospel, I would like to share a story from this week.

We had the Catholic funeral liturgy for a beloved member. The Vigil service, Funeral Mass and the Committal Rite. All carefully prepared and the liturgy meticulously followed according to the faith.

We gathered:

1. To pray for the soul of the dead (mercy, forgiveness, and the beatific vision).
2. To pray for one another in consolation (love, unity, forgiveness).
3. To remember our baptism into the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ (salvation economy).
4. To remember the sure hope of the resurrection and the mercy of God (the Divine Will).

After the graveside service the Funeral Director took it upon himself to orate for 20 minutes straight. And essentially demand the family and friends gather around the coffin for an extra-liturgical expression.

The worst part?

He started with: The real reason we are here…

Really? You know the real reason. See the list I provided above items one to four.
In speaking with his coworker, he told me this FD does this all the time.

Shameful!

• Funeral Director has a competence and role distinct and true.
• He is not the spiritual director of the family and grieving.

• I know he meant well and for that he gets this gentle warning.
• At most he can provide comforting context when the context is not already provided.
• He is there to provide concluding comments such as: ‘Thank you for coming’, and ‘This service is concluded’.

After three days of meticulous and exact theological understanding, developed over millennia, the FD decided of his own ego to declare, ‘the real reason’. He was not asked to do that. He is of unknown theological basis. He is unknown ordination or appointment. He did not read the discomfort of the family gathered to his expectations. He had zero understanding of interfaith practices.

Apparently he does this all the time.
Yikes!

I have done many interfaith services and faith services of other traditions, great and meticulous care must be given to represent the faith tradition of the grieving, not my own. His activity is a slap in the face of all religions and traditions and interfaith practices.

Why does it matter?

Because he is not in the position to declare the purpose of the gathering, the theological framework of the gathering nor listened to the words of the liturgy provided. The family and their ways are the paramount canon.

Some of our prayers are 2,000 years old given by the Lord himself!

How closed can a person be in such a moment!

I am writing this as a neglected reality. In the modern world, I am amazed that you are so quickly forsaking the one who called you by the grace of Christ for a different gospel. In your context it is fine. But in the context of a family with distinct and specific religious tradition, no, not at all.

Today is also the Optional Memorial of Saint Faustina Kowalska, virgin.
She is an impactful saint in the western church. Her modern era life (August 25, 1905 – October 5, 1938) and her diary has inspired millions to a life of loving the Lord and acting justly.

Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska’s Story here:
https://www.franciscanmedia.org/saint-of-the-day/saint-maria-faustina-kowalska

For the sake of his sorrowful passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world!

First reading
When they saw that I had been entrusted with the Gospel.
But when I saw that they were not on the right road in line with the truth of the Gospel, I said to Cephas in front of all…

Responsorial Psalm
Go out to all the world, and tell the Good News.

Alleluia Verse
You have received a spirit of adoption as sons through which we cry: Abba! Father!

Gospel Portion

This! This is our focus:

Father, hallowed be your name,
your Kingdom come.
Give us each day our daily bread
and forgive us our sins
for we ourselves forgive everyone in debt to us,
and do not subject us to the final test.

Peace be with you,
Deacon Gerry