Wednesday, August 15, 2012

Personal – A Heart Filled With Sorrow . . . .

 

Mrs. B and I are “teachers” in the Catholic RCIA program.  If you want to become Catholic, as an adult, most parishes will have a team to conduct a fairly typical 6-month program to teach you all you ever wanted to know about the Catholic Church and to set your feet on the path to a closer relationship to God.

This past Fall Lori started the program.  Her father sold us our home.  Early 40s, pretty, open, willing, talkative, a mother – you could not ask for a better candidate.  She was accepted as a member of the parish at Easter Vigil this past April.

Phone rings.  Caller ID says it’s Jeanie – the parish secretary.

Me:  Joe’s Bar! (we kid quite a bit)

Jeanie:  Bill, I need a favor.  Can you be an alter server for Thursday.  (alter server = alter boy, been a few years,  Never been a alter boy in the Catholic Church, getting I little old for it I would think)

Me:  Sure, no problem.  I didn’t know there was a service Thursday.

Jeanie:  It’s for the funeral.

Me:  Funeral????

Jeanie:  Yes . . . Lori, she died this past weekend. (while school shopping for shoes for her son.  She had an aneurysm – no warning at all)

Me: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Really?? (I flash on my experiences of her, her son, her excitement for the future . . . . ) Sure, no problem, I’d be happy to.  And sorrow fills my heart

Jeanie:  Thanks so much, could you also help serve communion?

Me:  No problem Jeanie, I’ll be there.

Jeanie:  Thanks Bill

And so I will do my small part to help her family through the hardest day of their lives . . . .

Give your kids a hug today, enjoy your day, love your friends . . . .

We will all take this journey . . . . take full advantage of your days . . . .

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